Shakespeare's cure for WAD
by Mike Taurguss
Summary: COMPLETE AT LAST! W.A.D. Wedding Anxiety Disorder A condition that precludes a marital ceremony. Usually during the planning stages when things begin to go wrong. Side effects include short temper, lack of sleep, etc. The big day's coming at last!
1. Forward

**Forward**

****

The sun shone brightly in the crystal blue sky. The trees seemed greener than usual. Birds and small animals were playing in the nearby woods as Gabrielle passed. Normally, the sights, sounds and smells of a beautiful day would lighten her spirits in the darkest of times, but not today.

Today was the first day of the end of Gabrielle's patience. She rounded the gentle curve in the road and came to the beginning of her parent's old farm. There was the old house, or what was left of it, resting on three of its four walls. One end of the house, the end where her childhood bedroom had been, was gone, collapsed into a pile of old, dried rubble. As she came further out of the woods onto the property, she noticed something strange. The chicken coop had been repaired and there were several of the birds in a newly built pen at the side of the old barn. The barn itself showed several places where old planks had been replaced. Even the doors, which had been hanging on broken hinges, now sat open, hanging on new hardware.

From within the old barn came a constant "whack, whock," of someone pounding with a hammer.

The scroll in her hand momentarily forgotten, Gabrielle moved to the open barn doors and peered in. The open space in the center of the building was filled with recently constructed benches and chairs. In the center of the space were three stands supporting a thick log about ten feet long. Her future husband stood at one end, wielding a large hammer as he struck first the top and then bottom extensions of a thick metal wedge. Each hit split the log a little further. Judging by the neatly stacked boards behind him, David had obviously been keeping himself very busy while Gabrielle made some of the arrangements for their upcoming wedding.

Gabriele stood in the doorway and watched her future husband working. She noticed that his denim pants were beginning to show the wear and tear of life in her time, and that the belt about his waist was tightened a few extra notches. His musculature was more defined and he had slimmed down slightly.

Behind him, also were a newly built workbench and several other smaller stands. Newly acquired woodworking tools hung from newlyconstructed racks where one of the stables used to be.

Gabrielle tried to quickly calculate the cost of the tools and material. It wasn't cheap.

David, in spite of his exertions, was smiling as he worked.

He paused and stepped over to a barrel of water and plunged his head in up to the neck. It came back out in a spray of water. He pulled is hair tie off and shook the water out of his hair vigorously.

Gabrielle had the sudden image of a big shaggy dog, just out of the wash basin. She laughed out loud as the water went flying.

David looked at her through his mop of hair and grinned.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked as he pulled his hair back again.

Gabrielle shook her head, smiling. "Nothing." She stepped into the barn and looked about at all the new accessories. In another stable, she found several tall tables and neatly stacked stools.

"You have been busy," she said, looking back at him. "What are these for?"

David heard a horse and cart coming in through the broken gate and he smiled.

"They're for him." He grabbed a shirt and wiped the sweat and water from his face as he strode out.

"Hey, Beltanus," he greeted. "Good morning."

"David," Gabrielle asked from behind him. "Where did you get the money for all this?"

David shrugged and continued out to meet the wagon.

Gabrielle watched him, mildly suspicious, then she noticed his black leather vest, hanging on another stool in front of the newly built workbench. She could see the faint outlines from the gold and silver pins that used to adorn his vest, but the pins were gone. Even the big gold and silver one that they had started a mock argument over, just a few months prior. She looked back out at her fiancé and smiled, shaking her head. There was a sudden twinge of regret in her heart. The pins and orniments that David had affixed to his vest had meant something to him. Yet another thing he had sacrificed in order to have a life with her. If only she could find a way to give something back?

David stepped up to the horse and patted its strong neck.

"Good morning, David." Beltanus, a middle aged tavern owner smiled cheerfully. "Just came by to see if the rest of my order was ready?"

David smiled. "Six tables and twenty four stools," he said. "Pull up and I'll help you get loaded.

Beltanus gratefully turned his wagon around and parked it in front of the open doors. He and David quickly loaded the tables and stools into the wagon. Then Beltanus handed David a small purse of coins.

David tossed the bag in his hand a few times and grasped the tavern owners forearm

"Pleasure doing business with you," he smiled. "Hope they work out for you."

"The other ones are, that's for sure. Usually I have to fix my furniture like clockwork every week. Your stuff is as good now as it was three weeks ago." He paused for a moment.

"Have you got time to build a couple of dining tables for me as well? I could sure use them. The old ones are getting pretty beat up."

David thought for a moment. "Well, I've got the wedding to plan for, and the house project. Can you hold off a couple of months?"

Beltanus nodded. "I think I can keep them for that long. You want the old tables in exchange, plus the fee?"

"That will work," David grinned. "I'll swing by when we get back from the honeymoon and get the dimensions from you."

"Perfect," Beltanus nodded, then he smiled and waved to Gabrielle. "Congratulations, young lady. You got yourself a fine, hard working young man here. Take care of him."

He cracked the reigns over the horse's shoulders, and the cart lurched off, heading back to town.

David came strolling back into the barn and tossed the money bag into a nearby barrel.

"Aren't you the entrepreneur," Gabrielle commented, looking about the barn at the other projects in progress.

David shrugged and reset the log and splitter before beginning his rhythmic hammering.

"What you got there?" David asked, indicating the scroll in Gabrielle's hand.

Her cheerful mood went down faster than a harpy with its wings clipped.

"I just got this from the Temple of Aphrodite in Athens," Gabriella moaned. "They apologized, but they said they accidentally double booked the temple for the time we wanted and there's no other times open for the rest of this year!"

David paused and looked at Gabrielle.

"Did they at least send back the deposit?" he asked, all business.

Gabrielle looked at him, completely disheartened. "Yes, but that's not the point."

David smiled and stepped over to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Baby, it's okay." He said understandingly. "Look, we'll find someplace else. Maybe someplace closer to home?"

Gabrielle sighed. "I really had my heart set on Athens, David."

"I know you did," David replied. "But does it really matter where we do this, just so long as it happens?"

Gabrielle's mood didn't improve, but she shook her head. "I suppose not," she said dejectedly. "It's just –" she shrugged. "You wouldn't understand."

"I think I do," David smiled. He stroked her cheek, and then his eyes lit up.

"Hey," he said. "How's this for an idea! Lets have the ceremony here?"

Gabrielle looked up at him. "What? Here in the barn?"

"Why not?" David asked. He began walking around. "I could hire a couple of guys from town and we could clean and refurbish this place. Make it as grand as any temple in Athens?" He pointed up at the ceiling. "This old barn is built pretty sturdy. It wouldn't take much. Give me two weeks and I bet you'd agree with me?"

Gabrielle looked dubious. After all, this was where her father had kept the farm animals when she was growing up. Even without the animals still present, the memory of them, as well as the odor, still lingered on slightly.

"I don't know," she said doubtfully.

David's eyes were filled with a mischievous light and Gabrielle could see the wheels turning in his mind.

"You're plotting again," she said knowingly. "Aren't you." She folded her arms over her chest and stared at him sternly.

David went back to splitting the log.

"Me, never," he lied. Then he stopped and looked at her. She stood there, her hands on her hips now, head cocked to one side, giving him that dubious stare.

He tried to ignore it, he really did. And to his credit he was able to focus on splitting the log of a good half minute before he set the hammer back down and matched her gaze.

"Don't you have something to do?" he asked playfully. "Like check on the shipment of flowers and stuff?"

"They're already on the way," Gabrielle replied.

"To the temple that's been double booked?" David asked, his smile spreading as he saw Gabrielle's face change to frustrated anger again. She pulled one of her sais out and twirled it angrily; then, with a frustrated grunt she threw the weapon at the wall. It passed between the two boards and continued out into the yard. It was a one in a million throw, but the end result was a terrified squawk from the yard, and the scrabbling of panicked feet.

David's eyebrows rose and he stepped over to the door, looking out into the small pen beyond.

"Well," he said with a growing smile. "I feel like chicken tonight."

Gabrielle stepped next to him and looked down at the stricken bird for a moment. Her gaze did not lighten.

She turned away and stormed off back towards the road.

"This sucks," she muttered.

"Does that mean you'll consider the barn thing?" David asked cheerfully after her.

She waved a hand in his direction. "Whatever!"

David grinned like a banshee. "Sounds like "yes" to me."

He strode back into the barn and began surveying the ceiling. His confident grin melted as he inspected the structure visually. Though the timbers holding it together were more than large enough to support the building. They were old and would need some attention as he worked on the exterior.

"I can do this," he said, trying to boost his confidence. He continued to scan the rafters. "I can do this. God, I hope I can do this?"

He fretted for a few minutes, and then an idea began to percolate in his mind. His self assured grin returned and he rubbed his hands together.

"Oh, yeah," he said mischievously. "I can do this."

He went back into the barn singing an old Beatles tune.

"_I'll get by with a little help from my friends…"_


	2. Contingency Plans

**A Matter of the Heart**

David entered Lila's small home a few hours after Gabrielle, holding the dead chicken in his hands.

"Hey everyone," he said cheerily. "I brought dinner."

He stopped next to Gabrielle and handed her back her sai.

"You dropped this on your way out."

Lila looked at the large bird in surprise.

"Where did that come from?" she asked.

David shrugged and looked over at Gabrielle. She merely rolled her eyes and went back into the tiny bedroom. Lila looked after her, concern etched in her face.

"She's been that way all day," she said. "What happened?"

"The temple we wanted was double booked by accident," he explained. "She's a bit miffed, right now."

Lila shook her head understandingly. "I know she was really looking forward to it. That's a shame."

David nodded. "I know. I told her I understood, but I guess I don't really. Then she kind of shot down my alternative plan."

"What was it?" Lila asked as she began cleaning the bird.

David shrugged. "I suggested having the ceremony at your old home."

"David," Lila said. "That house is a shambles. You couldn't possibly fix it in time."

"I know," David agreed. "I mentioned refurbishing the barn for it. I thought it was a decent idea, but?" he shrugged again.

Lila laughed quietly.

"What's so funny?" David asked. "I could get that place cleaned up and ready in a week."

"I know," Lila laughed. "But you have to look at it from Gabrielle's point of view. She was all set for a Temple wedding, and you propose a _barn_? How did you think she would react?"

David thought about it for a minute and smiled. "Yeah, I see your point."

"Not that it's a bad idea," Lila was fast to add. "The old property is more than big enough for a wedding. It just needs so much work."

David nodded again. "That's what the Village magistrate said when I bought it last week."

Lila dropped the small knife.

"You what?" she asked in surprise.

"I bought it from the village last week." David answered, looking back towards the small door to the bedroom. "They bought you out when you couldn't keep the place up anymore, but they never did anything with it. Since the house fell apart even more, they've just let the place sit and used the barn for storage. I was able to get it at a bargain rate." He suddenly looked nervous. "I was going to tell you, but I wanted to keep it a surprise for Gabrielle, once the new house was built."

"How could you afford it," Lila asked in a hushed whisper. "Even at a "bargain rate", as you say, it was still a big piece of land?"

"During our little mix up with Gurkan, I actually ended up with a pocket load of dinars, well over ten thousand. I just used some of that."

"How much?" Lila pressed.

David shrugged. "Six?"

Lila smiled. "Then you got it for a good price. The village gave us nine for it two years ago."

David breathed a sigh of relief. "I would have asked, but Gabrielle has been around you the entire time she's been planning the wedding. I couldn't get a word in."

Lila smiled understandingly. "That still leaves the house and the barn," she laughed again at the idea. "Do you think you could actually fix it up in time?"

David shrugged. "Not by myself. But I could do it in a couple of days with a little help."

"Couple of days?" Lila fixed him with the same dubious stare that Gabrielle had earlier. "What could you do in a couple of days?"

David rose and stepped over to the bench. He leaned down and quickly whispered his plan to Lila. She listened and a smile spread across her face.

"You think it's possible?" she asked, once David was finished. "You've got quite a list there, you know?"

David nodded. "I just need you to cover for me for a little while, while I run over to the tavern and talk with Beltanus."

"Fine," Lila said. "What are you still doing here?"

David kissed her on the cheek and jogged out of the house.

Gabrielle poked her head out of the bedroom a few moments after the door shut.

"Where's David going?" she asked.

"He went over to Beltanus's place, to get a wineskin to go with this chicken," Lila replied smoothly. "He'll be back in a few minutes."

Gabrielle started to close the door again, apparently not finished sulking about the day's disaster.

"Gabrielle?" Lila called. "Can you find that jar of mixed herbs that David carries with him all the time? I want to use that on dinner."

Sullenly, Gabrielle came out of the bedroom and rummaged about in David's knapsack until she found the requested jar. She set it on the counter and began moving back toward the bedroom.

"Hey," Lila said. "Sulking won't help. Come on, you can help me get dinner ready."

Reluctantly, Gabrielle turned back to the kitchen and stood next to her sister.

"You know," Lila said conversationally. "David's really trying to make things better."

"I know," Gabrielle said. "And I appreciate it. I really do. But, the _barn_? Come on Lila?"

Lila shrugged. "What about that nice spot by the lake?" she offered, knowing the response.

"Oh, sure," Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "If we're there past dusk, the mosquitoes would eat us alive."

"Hey, now," Lila chided her. "We're all just trying to give you some alternatives. Besides, my old bones couldn't handle a long trip to Athens anyway."

"Please," Gabrielle retorted. "You're not that old."

Again Lila shrugged. "I'm just saying that you don't need to have a big extravagant wedding to prove how much you mean to each other."

David jogged through town to the large flat structure that was Beltanus's inn. He ducked through the low door and stepped into the torch lit fog of a drinking establishment in full swing.

He spied several of his tables, occupied by patrons who were inspecting them with looks of approval. Several of them nodded in greeting, or gestured to others that he was the man who had built them.

Beltanus, huffing and puffing behind the bar, raised a hand and waved.

"Good evening!" he shouted over the din.

David grinned and waved back. He threaded his way through the crowd and leaned up against the bar.

"What can I get you?" Beltanus asked cordially. "Whatever you like, on the house."

David grinned. "I appreciate it, but I actually need a little more than a drink."

"Oh?" Beltanus's eyebrows rose. "What's on your mind?"

David handed the small bag of coins back to the bartender. He looked at it in surprise.

"What's this about?" he asked, fearful that David might repossess his wares.

David smiled. "I've got a deal for you," he said. "How would you like those new dining tables tomorrow?"

Beltanus looked at the money, and then at David, then back at the money again.

"I don't understand?" he finally admitted.

David nodded. "You told me that you'd like your two boys, Salius and Timitus to apprentice under me."

"Yes," Beltanus nodded.

"Well," David nodded. "I've been thinking about it, and I think it would be a great idea. I also need your help on something else."

"Yes?" Beltanus's eyebrows rose.

"I'm going to be asking everyone here, and in town to help with a little cleanup and restoration project at the old farm, and I'd like to ask you to provide the food and refreshment?" David's eyebrows rose expectantly. "I'll pay for the food and drink, that's not the issue, but it will be a lot, and it must be kept secret from Gabrielle."

"My new tables tomorrow?" Beltanus thought aloud. "And a nice big profit for the week? My sons learning a trade? Plus, I get to help a fellow man pull one over on his wife – future wife?" he grinned. "Sure, why not!"

David smiled, and then he stood up on the bar. "May I have your attention, please!" he bellowed.

The entire room fell silent as they anticipated David breaking into a song, or something. He looked about the room and smiled.

"Everyone, I need your help!" He continued. "And, I need each of you to keep a secret!"

Quickly and neatly, David outlined his plans for the next three days. The murmur began to spread throughout the entire room as everyone got into the spirit of the project. Many of the younger men began thumping their mugs on the new tables enthusiastically, while the elderly patrons swore oaths of secrecy amongst themselves.

David dropped from the bar and gave Beltanus a wink. He turned to go and then stopped.

"Oh," he said quickly, fishing in his pocket. "I also need a wineskin."

Beltanus handed a skin of wine to him and refused the proffered payment.

"On the house," he said again. "We'll talk in the morning."

"Thanks Beltanus." David said gratefully. "Have your boys meet me at the barn later tonight."

Beltanus nodded and David wormed his way back out of the inn.

When he got back to the house, he could hear the two women "discussing" David's idea. He paused at the door and listened.

"Well," Lila was saying. "I think it's a charming idea."

"Lila," Gabrielle countered. "He turned the old cattle stall into a tool shed."

"So," Lila replied easily. "If he could do that, he can change it into something else."

There was a grumble and David gauged that the discussion might degenerate into a full blown argument at any moment. He stepped back and then came in the door with the wineskin in his hand.

"Libations for the fowl," he said cheerily.

Lila looked at him with considerable relief while Gabrielle's gaze was still dark.

Lila took the wineskin and David slid into the seat next to Gabrielle.

"How you doing?" he asked, trying to stay upbeat.

"Swell," Gabrielle muttered.

David looked at her face and smiled understandingly. "Listen," he began, placing his hand over hers. "I know that my idea didn't sound like the best. Compared to a temple in Athens, it must have sounded ridiculous."

Gabriele looked up at him expectantly. "Then why even say anything?"

"Because I wanted to try and help," David replied. "And because I've been to a wedding where they did that and it was great. I thought you might consider it?"

Gabrielle sighed, picking at her plate. "There's just some things that I really wanted," she finally said. "When I got married the first time, it was so rushed. There was no time to plan anything, we just went to the nearest temple and – got married. I wanted something different this time."

David placed a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder and rubbed it gently.

"I don't know what I can say that'll make you feel better," he offered. She looked at him, and for the first time, she smiled a little.

"I know you meant well," she replied, her hand coming up to cover his. Then she shrugged, also at a loss for words.

>>

_Gabrielle stood at the end of a long walkway, looking down through the temple. Faceless individuals occupied seats on either side, all turned to gaze at her expectantly._

_The aisle itself seemed miles long, and down at the far end, she could see David waiting, an expectant smile on his lips. She felt the nervousness and anticipation balled up in a tight knot within her belly. She began walking towards him as soft melodious music began to drift throughout the vast chamber._

_Her heart leapt! It was finally happening. It was the wedding that she wanted! Everything was perfect. The flowers adorning the seats and strung in undulating waves along the aisle. The scent of them perfuming the air, and her betrothed, standing, tall and regal, his hands clasped in front of him, waiting for her. She continued forward, but felt as though she were getting nowhere. She frowned, looking down at her feet. She began to feel heavy. The aisle was becoming longer with each step she took. Was David aging before her eyes? It began with subtle streaks of gray at his temples, fanning out as the color in his hair seemed to drain away. His face wrinkled and withered, his eyes dulled and he became bent with age. The flowers strung about the temple withered and faded and their perfume slowly changed to the stink of rotting plants. Still she could not reach him! Panic began to set in and she could feel her heart reverberating in her ears, drowning out the music that had sunk to the disharmonious yammering of de-tuned instruments. The faceless guests looked upon her in disapproval…_

Gabrielle sat bolt upright in a fright, a short terrified cry escaping her lips. She could still hear the trip hammer pace of her heart thundering in her ears.

"David?" She whispered. She turned to speak to him and discovered his side of their small bed was empty.

A mild panic momentarily seized her heart, and the irrational side of her mind screamed that he had simply gone away, or that the last few months had been a dream, or some other departure from reality.

She looked about the room and saw several of his things, lying folded or hanging where he had left them. That quieted the panic somewhat, but it didn't answer the question of where he was?

Her feeling of angst continued as she got wearily out of bed and went quietly into the main room. Again, David was nowhere to be seen. He saw Lila, curled up on her small bed, sleeping peacefully.

She crept past her slumbering sibling and eased out into the cool night air. The humidity and the cool breeze sent a shiver up her spine as she looked out at the misty street of her home village. So much had changed, and yet, it was still the same. She rubbed her shoulders and tried to drive the images of her strange nightmare from her mind.

She spied a large figure strolling casually up the lane towards the house, and she sighed with relief when she recognized David's movements in the walking figure.

"Hey," he said quietly. "What are you doing out here?" His hair was wet, and he wore no shirt. Small specks of sawdust and debris still clung to his forearms in spite of his efforts to clean up after working.

He saw the tired smile and the look of relief on her face and his cheerful gaze sobered a bit.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Gabrielle lied. Then she shrugged. "I just woke up and you weren't there."

David smiled gently. "I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep, so I went to the barn and did some work. I would have told you, but I didn't want to wake you."

In actuality, David had just returned from cleaning up the barn, after he and the two innkeeper's sons ha finished building Beltanus's new dining tables. He wrapped an arm about Gabrielle's shoulder and felt the cool sweat that still lingered.

"Nightmare?" he asked.

She leaned up close to him and nodded.

"Want to talk about it?" David offered.

She shook her head. "It was nothing. Just a bad dream."

"Well," David said, leading her back to the house. "Let's get inside and get some rest. I promise I won't go anywhere before daylight, okay?"

Gabrielle curled up next to him, feeling his strong arm wrap protectively about her. She sighed, suddenly content and her eyes closed. This time, there were no unpleasant dreams.

David looked down at her for a long time and smiled. No matter how many times he saw her, he was always struck by how beautiful she was. He realized that he could look at her for hours and never lose that fascination he had first experienced when they met. It was a part of why he loved her. He knelt closer and kissed her gently on the forehead before letting his own eyes drift closed.

"I am," He thought as sleep finally took him. "The luckiest man in the universe."

The next morning, David woke early. The morning sun was streaming in through the open window above him and the sounds of birds could be heard outside.

David gently extricated himself from his fiancée and got cleaned up. He paused, looking at Gabrielle as she slept peacefully.

"It's about time we've had a break," he thought. He quietly stepped through the small doorway into the main room and found Lila already awake and bustling about the tiny kitchen.

"Damn, woman," David said. He smiled. "Don't you ever sleep?"

"Not at my age," Lila replied cheerily. "What about you? Out late last night, weren't you?"

"Yeah, well," David shrugged. "I needed to get Beltanus's tables done."

"Did you?" Lila asked conversationally.

David stepped over to one of his stuffed knapsacks and rummaged about for a few minutes.

"All done," he said. He drew out his small coffeepot and began sliding the components together. "His two boys turned out to be quick learners. They helped me out a lot last night." He slipped the small tripod in over the fire and set the pot upon it. After a few minutes, the sound of coffee percolating began to help drive the weariness from him. The aroma filled the tiny room and drifted into the bedroom.

"I'm sorry for the way we've monopolized your home these past few weeks, Lila," David said suddenly. "We really appreciate it."

"Don't you worry about it," Lila said amiably. "You two kids need to be able to be alone." She stopped suddenly and chuckled. "Listen to me. 'You kids.' It's easy to forget that Gabrielle is my older sister."

"What about Sara?" David asked. "She hasn't been around much?"

"Oh, she's staying with a friend for a while." Lila replied. "She felt that it was too cramped here with four of us."

David was about to say more when the door to the bedroom opened and a groggy Gabrielle came walking out. She plunked herself down at the table and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Lila smiled. "Still not a morning person, are you?"

"Absolutely not," Gabrielle replied.

David drew two metal coffee mugs from his gear and poured two cups of steaming coffee. He slid one in front of Gabrielle.

"Here," he said. "This will wake you up. Just don't have too much. Remember the last time?"

"Oh, yeah," Gabrielle nodded. "I remember."

Gabrielle had tried coffee for the first time in the clubhouse of the Zombie Squad. The end result had been the poor bard speaking at a mile a minute and moving about just as fast as she was consumed with nervous energy.

She sipped the beverage cautiously as she watched David.

Her fiancé smiled a little bashfully.

"Okay," he said at last. "Come on. Out with it."

"I was just thinking," Gabrielle said carefully. "About what you were saying yesterday."

David slid into the small seat next to hers and looked at her expectantly.

"And?"

Gabrielle sighed. "I don't want to wait another year to get married, do you?"

David shrugged. "I'd prefer not to, but I could wait if we had to." He eyed her knowingly. "I guess the real question is: Could you?"

"Could, yes," Gabrielle smiled. "Want to? No."

David smiled warmly. He could recognize when Gabrielle was taking the long route to a point. It usually happened when she wasn't sure about something, or when she thought she might be dining on some previous words.

"I'm open to alternatives," she finally said. Then she winced. "Just, not the barn? Okay?"

David held his hands up noncommittally. "Fine. We won't use the barn for the ceremony. Done."

Gabrielle's eyes narrowed in suspicion. That compromise was way too easy.

"What are you up to?" she asked him knowingly.

"Would you consider having the wedding on your old property, if I could get it ready?" David asked suddenly.

Gabrielle looked up at Lila, who merely shrugged. She immediately realized that her sister would be of no help in this conversation. She sighed in defeat. "I don't know."

"Give me three days," David offered. "Let me show you what I have in mind. If you don't agree with it, then fine, we'll figure something else out, fair enough?"

Now Gabrielle was sure her soon-to-be- husband was up to something.

"David?" she asked him, her hands wrapping about the mug thoughtfully.

"Three days," David repeated. "And you can't come by until the three days are up. That's the deal."

Gabrielle sat back and folded her arms, her eyes fixing on him with almost feral intensity. "You've already done something, haven't you?"

Now it was David's turn to shrug. "Maybe. Do we have a deal?"

Again, there was no assistance from her sister. Instantly, Gabrielle knew that the two of them had been conspiring together.

"And what am I supposed to do for those three days?" she asked.

"Well," David considered. " I know you wanted a new dress for the wedding. And I'm not exactly up on the latest fashions of this period, so I was kind of hoping you would pick out something for me as well?" He smiled. "Unless you want a twenty-first century biker at the altar?"

Gabrielle smiled softly and her gaze also softened to something more agreeable, even seductive. "Oh, I don't know. There's something I love about that rugged, just out of the wild look?"

David laughed. "You'd have loved Sturgis."

Gabrielle finally nodded. "Alright," she agreed. "I won't come snooping about for three days. On the fourth day, though," she held up a hand. "I expect a guided tour."

"Done and done," David nodded. He rose and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Gabrielle asked.

"Hey," David said with a shrug. "I've only got three days." He opened the door and vanished outside.

Gabrielle's eyes narrowed again and she went after him. She stepped out the door and stopped dead in her tracks.

David was in the midst of a group of no less than a dozen of the younger men in the village. All of them carrying some form of tools or another, and all of them heading down the road towards her old home.

More of the men came trekking past, each of them smiling and greeting her cheerfully. All of them had expressions that said they were in the know about something.

David turned and waved to her, his grin was wide and full of mischief.

Lila came and stood next to Gabrielle, smiling as the men of the village went off to do whatever David had in mind.

"Well, Lila," Gabrielle sighed. "He did it to me again, didn't he?"

"Gabrielle," Lila smiled. "I think he's got the entire village doing it to you this time."

She wanted to be angry with him, even if just on some small level. Somehow, that emotion just wouldn't form.

"Well," She sighed, now plotting on her own. "At least with so many people in the know, I should be able to find out what he has planned?" She arched an eyebrow at her sister.

"Gabrielle!" Lila chided her. "That's unfair and, well, just plain rude!"

"I never said I wouldn't ask questions," Gabrielle countered.

"Somehow," Lila smiled knowingly. "I think David has that part of his little scheme covered."

"Lila," Gabrielle turned to her sister. "Nobody's that good." She stopped when she saw Lila's eyes. "He's already told you all about it, hasn't he?"

"Oh no you don't," Lila waggled a finger in her face. "Don't even think of pulling that old trick with me! I will not be your little fact finder this time!"

"Come on, Lila," Gabrielle pleaded, reverting back to their childhood for a moment. "It'll be fun!"

"Gabrielle," Lila countered sternly. "We have a dress to shop for, as well as clothing for your husband to be. We don't have time for these little games!"

"Lila?" Gabrielle pressed.

"Not a chance," Lila replied quickly. She grasped Gabrielle by the arm. "Come along, you need to get cleaned up and have breakfast, then we shop."


	3. Persistence

**Persistence**

A dozen pairs of young, eager eyes looked up at David as he crouched before them. The average age of the children was about eight. They listened raptly as David outlined their "mission".

"Now," he said. "This is a very important place. And you have to make sure no one gets in that shouldn't be here, okay?"

Twelve eager head bobbed up and down. One small girl raised her hand.

"Who shouldn't be here?" she asked timidly.

"There's only one person," David said. "You all know Gabrielle, right?"

Again, more nods.

"Well," David continued. "She's the only one who shouldn't be here. And she might try to sneak in from the forest or along side the road, so you have to patrol all along there, without going into the forest, because, if you see her, I need to be able to see you when you wave, if you see her, got it?"

Twelve enthusiastic children erupted in excitement.

"Okay!" David clapped. "You guys know what to do!"

The kids ran hooting and hollering across the field.

David grinned as he watched them go. Then he turned back to the job at hand and almost ran into Aphrodite who had silently appeared behind him.

She wrapped her arms about his waist, her hands coming down on his rear.

"Ooh," she said. "Hey studly. What's shakin?" She smiled up at him.

David gently pulled the Goddess's hands from his posterior and smiled.

"Hello Aphrodite," he greeted her cordially. "What brings you around?"

"Well," Aphrodite said knowingly. "A man and his friends helping to set up a wedding site for his future bride. Does that scream "love" or what? Duh!"

"Silly me," David muttered as he tried unsuccessfully to push past the giddy Goddess.

"What can I do for you?" he asked as he surveyed the demolition of the old house's collapsed roof.

"Oh, nothing," The Goddess said, seating herself on a nearby bail of hay. "I just thought I'd see what you came up with?"

She stood back up and looked over his shoulder at the wreckage of the house.

"So far, lover boy, I don't see much?" she teased.

David looked down at her and smiled.

"It's the morning of the first day," he said sarcastically. "You not pleased? Jump in and help."

"Sure!" the Goddess replied immediately, much to David's surprise. "What do you need?"

David looked at the Goddess skeptically. "Right now? I need a bunch of people on those ropes to help pull the rest of that section of roof down."

"What?" Aphrodite winced. She looked down at her hands and shrugged. "I could get splinters?"

"Ah," David smiled knowingly. He pointed over at the second group, getting ready to drill post holes. "How about helping those guys get the entrance walk ready?"

Aphrodite looked over at several burly young men placing markers, digging post holes and laying flagstones. She shook her head.

"Do you know how long it takes to get these nails just right?" she said, holding up her perfectly manicured hands. "And digging in the dirt? Like, yeah, right!"

David tried his best to conceal his smile. "Of course. Okay, besides Goddess things. What can you do?"

"I was thinking something in a supervisory way, you know. Making sure the job gets done right?" She shrugged and smiled.

David frowned slightly. "I thought you deity types were supervisors?" he shot at her sarcastically.

"Oh very funny," Aphrodite replied. She seemed about to return a scathing remark of her own, but David spoke up again quickly, a disarming smile on his face.

"Actually, there is something you can do."

Instantly, the Goddess smiled again in anticipation. "And what would that be, big boy?"

David smiled sincerely. "Make sure no one gets hurt on this job. That's the most important 'supervisory' position I can come up with, and I think its right up your alley?" He shrugged. "And I might need to ask something else of you later."

The Goddess looked at him like an eager youngster. She rubbed her hands expectantly. "Oh, and what's that?"

"Later, My Lady," David said politely. "Later." He gave her a bow. "What do you say?"

Aphrodite looked about at all the men working on the property. Her face took on a critical expression. It slowly melted into something more desirous as she noted several of the younger, fit men, working on dismantling the collapsed roof.

"Watching over those boys?' She mused. "Oh, I could definitely get into that. A bunch of strong, sweaty young men flexing their muscles. I might have to get a couple of them later?"

David laughed. "Man, the guys in the Squad would have loved you."

He turned and began walking up towards the road.

"Hey!" The Goddess called after him. "Where are you going?"

"I need to run back into town and see Beltanus about getting the food and drinks out here for lunch. I'll be back in an hour." He gestured to the work crew. "The guys all know what to do. Just keep an eye on them for me, okay?"

Aphrodite looked back at the men; a couple of them had shed their shirts as the heat began to rise.

"Oh, no problem," she smiled. "Take your time."

David turned quickly and smiled to himself. "God help me, I've created a monster."

David leaned across the bar, looking down at the piece of parchment on the smooth surface. Beltanus leaned over and studied the plans.

"It's a nice setup, if they can get the house out of the way," He agreed. "I think she'll like it."

David smiled. "If you could have the boys set up the fire pit here, where the new house will be going, that should be out of the way enough for the guys to get something to eat and drink without tripping over each other."

David and Beltanus were still talking quietly when Gabrielle and Lila entered the inn.

"Good afternoon ladies," he said quickly, as David folded the plans for the house and hid them beneath his hands. He leaned over quickly. "I'll have Salius and Timitus get the provisions loaded up for you."

David grinned and winked, taking a second piece of folded parchment from Beltanus's hand.

Instantly the elder innkeeper was around the bar and guiding the ladies to one of his new dining tables.

"What can I get for you today?" he asked.

While Lila situated herself at the table, Gabrielle sauntered over to the bar and edged up next to her fiancé.

"So," he said casually. "What have you been up to?"

David surreptitiously pushed the folded parchment behind him and smiled. "Just came by here to grab something to eat. You?"

Gabrielle smiled knowingly and matched David's equally knowing look.

"You've been trying to snoop," he said, grinning. "Haven't you?"

"No," Gabrielle replied, her eyes flicked to the parchment on the bar. "Just a little shopping."

"Find anything?" David asked conversationally.

Gabrielle smiled. "Maybe? You won't know until the wedding day, though."

"Ah," David nodded. "Payback for my little secret?"

"Little?" Gabrielle shot back. "You have the entire village – my home village – in cahoots with you."

She shook her head and smiled, leaning against him as he put an arm about her shoulders.

"How do you do that?" she asked as her hand edged towards the parchment.

David's fingers intercepted hers and he raised her other hand and kissed it.

"It's a gift." He said simply. He smiled as she tried to find another way to edge about and get hold of the parchment.

This time she slipped her arms about his waist and hugged him to her, smiling again. Each of them could see right through the other's act, but they tried none the less, as if they were seeing which one of them would break first.

Her hand reached out again, and David's arms clamped down about hers, pinning them at his waist.

"You're just dying to know aren't you?" he grinned.

"And you're dying to tell me," Gabrielle suggested.

"No, I'm not," David replied.

Gently, but firmly, he went over and sat next to Lila, bringing the reluctant Gabrielle with him. Her eyes fell back on the parchment and she looked at David with challenge in her eyes.

"So?" David asked Lila as they sat down. David made sure he sat between his future wife and her desired target. "Any luck finding a dress?"

"Yes," Lila replied immediately. "And we found-"

"Lila!" Gabrielle exclaimed.

Lila smiled. "Sorry, sis. I couldn't help it."

Gabrielle growled softly as Beltanus served the drinks.

As David waited for his food, he watched Gabrielle, still eyeing the parchment lying on the bar, not ten feet from her. David's smile grew.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" he asked. "Why can't you just let it be?"

"You said I couldn't come out to the old house." Gabrielle smiled. "You didn't say anything about looking at a picture."

With that, Gabrielle launched herself towards the bar. David also leapt up and moved, quick as lightning. His hand scooped up the plans and he held them behind his back.

"You never give up, do you?" he asked, backing away from her as Lila laughed from the table.

Gabrielle, grinning like a banshee, tried to reach behind him with one hand, and then the other, her fingers always snapping closed a fraction of an inch away from her target.

"Not when I want something," Gabrielle countered. She reached again, and this time, David caught her face in his hand and planted a passionate kiss on her lips as he turned around and got his back away from the wall.

Gabrielle stepped back and grinned. "That's not fair," she teased. "You distracted me!"

"Every chance I can," David laughed. He backed to the bar, and when Gabrielle reached again, David tossed the parchment to Beltanus.

"Give that to Timitus," David said quickly. "And tell him to get moving! I'll keep the barbarians back!"

Gabrielle spun around and would have leapt across the bar, except that David was faster and caught her again. This time he held her, as if they were preparing to waltz, and he swayed back and forth, spinning her across the floor with a few graceful steps humming a soft dance tune.

"Can I have this dance?" he asked, still grinning.

Outside, they both heard the sound of the small horse drawn cart as it rattled away from the rear of the inn.

"You're terrible," Gabrielle said. Then she kissed him, and spun out of his grasp, bolting out the door.

David let her go and leaned back against the bar, completely pleased with himself.

Lila looked at David, and then at the still swinging door.

"David?" she asked, and her expression changed from concern to a knowing look.

David sighed and reached back, underneath his shirt and drew out the actual plans.

Lila gave him a stern look. "You are going to drive her mad, you know that?"

David turned the folded parchment in his hand a couple of times and smiled. "Yeah, I know."

"What is she about to get from that poor young man?" Lila asked.

David smiled as Beltanus, also grinning, handed over a cloth bag containing David's lunch.

"The grocery list," David said. He gave the elder woman a kiss on the cheek. "See you later, momma," he said kindly and he strolled out the door, whistling to himself.

Lila watched him depart and smiled as one hand came up to support her cheek. Then she laughed to herself as Beltanus brought the two meals and set them on the table.

"If they don't kill each other in the first five years," Lila commented. "It will be a miracle."

Beltanus chuckled. "Yes, but they are having fun, aren't they?"

David stepped out into the afternoon sun and began walking casually down the dirt path that led back to the job site. Quickly, he folded the parchment into the cloth napkin within his lunch bag and slung it over his shoulder.

He came across Gabrielle, trudging back with a defeated scowl on her face.

"Hi honey," he called cheerily. "Why the long face?"

Gabrielle held up the folded piece of parchment she had recently procured from the innkeeper's son and waggled it at him. In spite of her best efforts, her smile reasserted itself.

"Good one, David," she said. "Real good. I didn't even see the switch."

David smiled and kissed her. "That's because you always close your eyes when you kiss me, sweetheart." He said.

She drew back a fist in a threatening manner, but the smile soon reappeared.

"What am I going to do with you?" she sighed.

"Is that a multiple choice question?" David's eyebrows bounced a couple of times. "Cause I have a few ideas?"

Gabrielle shook her head and smiled, then she kissed him again. "You're a terrible, terrible man," she joked.

"Yeah," David agreed. "But you love it. Dinner tonight?"

"You cooking?" Gabrielle asked.

"I have a few ideas," David replied. "Meet me down by the lake tonight."

Gabrielle's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

"It's a surprise," David said before she could say anything else. "About sundown?"

Gabrielle slapped him in the arm. "I don't know about all these little secrets of yours," she said. "I'll see you later."

He kissed her again and the two of them went their separate ways.

When David returned to the site, the majority of the men were already enjoying the afternoon repast. Most of the old house had been dismantled and the salvageable wood was stacked neatly beyond the old foundation and floor. He found Timitus walking across the exposed floor, his eyes scanning the surface critically.

David pulled his sandwich out of the bag and stepped up next to the young man.

"What's on your mind?" He asked.

The young man shook his head.

"A lot of these planks are rotting," he said. "They'll need to be replaced before we set up the marriage pavilion."

HE stepped down and the two men saw the old board flex dangerously. "These won't hold my weight, never mind a couple dozen guests," the lad finished.

David smiled. "So?" he asked, taking another bite of his sandwich. "What do you do?"

The young man, suddenly realizing that he was being quizzed, smiled and stepped back.

"We can pull the bad planking up, and then run reinforcing cross braces at intervals of, say, this much?" he held his hands apart a little less than shoulder length. "Salius and Perin are small enough that they should be able to squeeze under there and help move them into place. Then we lay new flooring on top?" he looked up expectantly. "What do you think?"

"I think you got it down pat," David smiled, patting the young man on the shoulder. "That's your job. Get a crew together and start on it after lunch, okay?"

The work continued at a fever pitch until the sun began to set in the western hills. By that time, everyone was pretty much exhausted, but the entire old house had been completely dismantled and most of the rotten floor planks removed. Several men were busy sweeping up the assorted small debris still lying on the old floor. They finished tidying up and then began to filter out singly or in small groups. David watched them all depart and shook hands with many of them. Like him, most hands were callused and cracked, bleeding in some places, but no one minded the discomfort.

David pulled a few slivers out of his palms and then dunked his hands in a shallow basin of water, washing away the grime from the day. He looked up at the sky and judged he had about an hour to get ready for dinner. Quickly, he grabbed the newly built table and two stools, along with a large woven basket containing the provisions for the evening, and a change of clothing. He made his way across the field towards the lake as quickly as his burdens would allow.

He set the table and stools up underneath a large, leafy oak tree near the lake and started a small cooking fire. Once the fire was burning merrily, David set up the table and looked at the sky. He decided that he did have time for a quick bath. He stripped down and dove into the lake, quickly washing the days grime and sweat from his limbs.

He sighed, humming to himself as he bathed, and then he turned to find Gabrielle seated at the table, watching him.

"I didn't realize it was going to be dinner and a show?" she mused, smiling at him.

David smiled. "Come on in," he offered. "The water's great!"

Gabrielle sat there, dressed in a simple green dress of local style. She grinned and shook her head. "Later, perhaps," she countered.

David stayed in the water, eyeing her curiously. She had a smug smile on her lips, though he couldn't figure out why. Then he noticed and a grin began creeping across his face.

"Darling?" he said sweetly. "Where are my clothes?"

Gabrielle simply let her smile grow and blinked a few times. She gave a little shrug.

"This is payback," David grinned. "Isn't it?"

"Maybe," Gabrielle replied.

He nodded and pursed his lips as Gabrielle began inspecting the preparations for their little dinner.

"This lamb looks delicious," she commented. "And you got a wineskin as well? My, my."

"Sweetheart," David said cordially. "You're pushing."

Gabrielle theatrically placed a hand over her heart, looking shocked. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Uh huh," David said. "So, I sit in here and prune, or I tell you what you want to know, is that it?"

Gabrielle rested her chin on her fist and smiled, staring at him. "Something like that, yes."

"Ah," David nodded again, and his smile grew. "You're forgetting two little details."

"Oh?' Gabrielle said. "And they are?"

David grinned like a banshee and began stepping towards the water's edge.

"First, that I have absolutely no shame." He said as the water level fell with each step. "And secondly. When I get out of here, you are definitely going to get wet." He held his hands out and shrugged. "Clothes?"

Suddenly, several of the village women stepped out of concealment, though their giggling gave away their position before David actually saw them; he paused with the water just above his waist. He was amused to see Lila among them.

"Playing both sides against the middle, momma?" David asked her.

"David," Lila replied, grinning. "She is my sister after all?"

"Still want to come out?" Gabrielle teased.

"Absolutely," David replied. He began resumed moving towards the shore.

"David!" Gabrielle shouted in surprise.

"What?" David looked at the assembled group of conspirators and shrugged. "You already know what I got, and your sister's 'been there, done that', just not with me. But you know the old saying. If you've seen one, you've seen them all."

"What about the ones that haven't?" Gabrielle shot back, suddenly feeling a little nervous.

"Well, then they get a good look at what they're never gonna get?"

All the jaws dropped open as David casually stepped out of the water and began stalking towards his betrothed.

A look akin to panic suddenly washed over Gabrielle's face as she realized that her plan had backfired.

David paused and saw several of the younger women holding his clothing. He smiled cheerfully and stepped over to them. They were completely frozen in shock.

"Good evening, ladies," he said, and he gave them a little bow. "Can I have those please?"

Numbly, the two women holding his wardrobe surrendered the errant articles, their eyes never looking above his waist.

"Thank you," David said as he took his clothes and casually slung them over his shoulder. He turned and began walking casually back towards the table and Gabrielle.

"You know," he explained. "There's a beach in Spain, where everyone goes completely naked. Once you've been in public like this, in front of hundreds of other people, you never worry about it again."

He stopped in front of Gabrielle, also looking at him in total shock. David dropped the clothing next to the fire and smiled. "Now, then. Did you bring a change of clothing?" he asked sweetly. Then, without warning, he scooped her up and charged back towards the water.

"David!" Gabrielle struggled in his arms. "David, don't! I swear, if you do, so help me!" She squealed as the two of them landed several feet from the bank of the lake with a tremendous splash.

She came up blubbering and looked at him with an instant of wrath. Then she splashed water at him and laughed. "I hate you sometimes, you know that!"

David only laughed and let himself float, on his back, further into the water.

Lila, realizing that the show was apparently over for her and the rest of Gabrielle's accomplices, snapped everyone out of their stupor.

"Okay girls," she said breathlessly. "I think we've seen more than we ever should have. Time to go."

Reluctantly, the other women turned to leave, whispering in shock and surprise among themselves and Lila watched them go. Then she moved to the edge of the lake.

"Well, Gabrielle," she said to her sister. "I like how your plans work." She grinned. "Should I run back to the house and grab some dry clothing for you?"

Gabrielle stumbled out of the water, her dress plastered to her body and squelching as she moved.

"No," Gabrielle replied, looking back at him with feral intensity. Then she looked at Lila and smiled. "I had no idea he was completely shameless. Sorry."

"Sorry?" Lila grinned. "Gabrielle. You're David has nothing to be ashamed of."

"Lila!" Gabrielle hissed. The elder woman only shrugged and began walking back towards the faint lights of the village. "It's just my opinion." She finished.

Gabrielle watched her depart and then wheeled to face David, still floating on the water, his arms behind his head, exposed in all his glory.

She began pulling the waterlogged clothing off her body and wringing it out before she lay it next to the fire to dry.

"David Forester," she growled at him. "When I get in there, you are in big, big trouble."

David kicked upright and tread water as he smiled at her.

"Ooh goodie," he teased. "My favorite kind."


	4. Self Reflection and Revelation

_See Immortal, Inhuman, Accursed for the complete adventure involving Nickoli Vampyra._

**Self Reflection and Revelation**

The moonlight bathed everything in its pale glow, reflecting silver on the rippling surface of the lake. The tiny fire crackled merrily as Gabriele and David lay next to it, gazing up at the stars.

Gabrielle wore only her long tunic, the rest of her dress still damp from being thrown in the lake earlier. David lay in a pair of jeans only, his bare feet crossed and his arms behind his head.

The entire time I've been here," David said thoughtfully. "I never really looked up at the sky during the night."

"Beautiful, huh?" Gabrielle looked up and smiled.

"Weird," David replied.

Gabrielle frowned. "Why do you say that?"

David sighed. "There's so many of them, and not a single airplane or satellite to be seen." He smiled. "It's so quiet. It had me on edge for the first few weeks that I was here."

Gabrielle paused and listened. She could hear the night sounds of the animals, the gentle rippling of the lake as it pressed against the shore. The chitter of bats flitting through the night sky.

"It's not that quiet," she said. "I hear all kinds of noise."

"I don't mean that," David replied. "I mean the sounds of technology. In my time, there was always some kind of background noise to the world. Like a subtle hum, I guess you could say?"

"And you miss it?" Gabrielle asked.

"No," David said after a long moment of thought. "No, I don't. I find the absence of it very relaxing."

The slight light-headedness hit him as he sat up and reached for the half empty wineskin. He took a swig and grimaced before passing it to Gabrielle.

Gabrielle smiled and also took a long pull at the wineskin. "Not to your liking?" she teased.

David shrugged. "It's like drinking Mad Dog 20/20," he said. Then a wistful expression came over his face.

"Give me a nice bottle of Chianti any day of the week and twice on Sundays." He sighed.

Gabrielle giggled suddenly and leaned up next to him.

"I think it has the right effect," she said, slipping up against him.

David smiled. "So I see." Then the two of them froze at the same time and sat up, their senses suddenly alert.

"What was that?" Gabrielle asked. Her eyes scanned the surrounding darkness in vain.

David had little better results, even though he could make out the auras of the trees and small creatures like shadowy ghosts.

"I don't know," he replied. "But when the hair on the back of my neck stands up-?"

He continued looking about. Eventually, both of them fixed their eyes on the far bank of the lake. There was still nothing to be seen, but the silent alarms in both their heads said someone, or something was observing them.

"I am not liking this," David mused.

Gabrielle said nothing, but shivered suddenly.

"What is it?"

"I don't know," Gabrielle replied uneasily. "Just a feeling. Something I felt one time before, but that was a long time ago."

David fixed his gaze back across the lake, trying to pierce the veil of night with his senses, but still could feel nothing.

"Maybe we really do need that vacation," he finally said. "I think we're both getting a bit paranoid with everything that's happened since we got back."

"Maybe," Gabrielle agreed. She leaned in closer to David. "I don't know."

The alarm slowly faded, as if the unseen presence had withdrawn, and the two of them finally breathed easy again.

"When did you have that feeling before?" David asked as they collected their things and extinguished the fire.

Gabrielle's eyes continued to turn back towards the far bank of the lake as they worked even though the feeling had dissipated.

"It was like," she began. Then she stopped and re-framed her thought. "I felt like that when I met Nickoli. But that was almost thirty years ago, and he's been dead for decades?"

"Who was Nickoli?" David asked. "I don't think you ever told me about him?"

Gabrielle shrugged. "There was no need. Xena destroyed him long before we ended up asleep in that mountain."

They left the table and chairs behind and began heading back towards the village.

"Tell me anyway," David requested as they walked.

They were still deep in conversation when they finally reach Lila's home. They went in as quietly as possible, only to find Lila awake and prodding at the fire with a poker.

"That does it," David said lightly. "I now believe that you never sleep."

"I couldn't," Lila replied teasingly. "Not after what I saw earlier today."

David laughed out loud. "Well, barring outside interference," he looked sidelong at Gabrielle. "You won't have to see it again."

"Oh," Lila said regretfully. "What a shame."

"Lila!" Gabrielle blurted.

All three of them burst out in laughter. The three of them spent a little time, passing the wineskin between them and discussing the various opinions of the other women that had been present at David's little stunt.

_It was the same temple again. The faceless guests all in attendance and seated expectantly. Gabrielle saw David at the end of the aisle. Immediately, she remembered what had happened before. _

"_Not this time," she said, and she half ran, half walked down the aisle to stand before David and the faceless priest before even the small band had begun to play. She smiled up at her betrothed, who was staring at her with barely concealed astonishment._

"_I'm not going to let that happen again," she said triumphantly. Then she looked at the faceless priest. "Go ahead."_

_David cleared his throat nervously. "Uh, honey?" he said. "Are you sure you want to get married like that?"_

"_Like what?" she asked, suddenly feeling that dread form like a stone in her gut. "What are you -?"_

_She turned and looked out at the assembled guests, all wearing that same disapproving look, and then, her eyes were drawn down to look at herself. Aside from the bouquet of flowers, she stood there, amidst the assembled throng, completely naked!_

_The horror of it and the embarrassment rose up like a tidal wave and came crashing down upon her…_

Gabrielle screamed out loud and sat bolt upright in the bed once again covered in cold sweat. Instantly, David was upright, looking about the room for whatever threatened them, then he looked at Gabrielle, eyes wide, breathing hard and glistening in the fading moonlight.

David smiled comfortingly and touched her shoulder, feeling her tremble.

"Another nightmare?" he asked.

Gabrielle nodded. "Only this one was worse in some ways."

Lila came rushing in, her eyes wide in fright. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry, Lila," Gabrielle held a hand up to stay her. "It's all right. Just a bad dream."

Lila visibly relaxed and sighed. "Do you want me to make some tea, just to help you sleep?"

Gabrielle shook her head. As much as her stomach was churning at the moment, the idea of putting anything in it was a dangerous prospect.

"I'm all right, really." She lied.

David gave Lila a slight nod, and the elder lady withdrew.

"Well," she said as she closed the door. "Let me know if you change your mind."

Again, Gabrielle nodded. The door closed, and the two of them were alone once more.

"Okay," David said. He placed his fists before him and folded his legs, sitting Indian style before her. "No more of this. What's going on?"

"It's nothing," Gabrielle repeated.

"Two nights in a row?" David countered gently. "That's a bit more than nothing. Come on, out with it."

Gabrielle looked at him sheepishly. "You'll think it's silly."

David smiled warmly. "Try me."

Gabrielle looked into his eyes for a long time, then she settled down across from him and let everything come out.

Instead of laughing at her, or making light of it, David simply listened and nodded.

"I need to ask you something important, Gabrielle," he said. "And I don't want you to take this the wrong way, okay?"

She nodded.

David looked at her for a long moment and placed a hand on hers.

"Are you sure you want to marry me?" He finally asked.

She looked into his eyes for a long time and then nodded.

"Hey," David said. "I don't want you to say yes, just because I'm here. After everything we've been through, we really haven't been able to have time for just us, you know what I mean?"

Gabrielle nodded. "I think I do. David, it isn't like that, really. I don't know why I'm having these dreams. All I know is that when I have them, it all centers around our wedding, and something going horribly wrong."

"I know," David nodded. "Let me give you a little amateur dream analysis, okay?"

Gabrielle waited for him to collect his thoughts.

"In the first one, you wanted to get to me, but something was holding you back. And in the second one, you weren't held back, but you were, um, woefully ill prepared for what was coming. That tells me that there's something inside you, keeping you from wanting this, even if only subconsciously?" he stopped when he saw Gabrielle's frown.

"That's right," David sighed. "No Sigmund Freud for another two millennia." He thought furiously. "Okay," he finally said. "Something inside you, is telling you that either you aren't ready for this, or something about the situation isn't right, follow?"

"So you're saying that this is my fault?" Gabrielle asked.

"No. No, not at all." David answered quickly. "I'm only saying that maybe you need to take a little time and make sure this is what you want. Hell, Gabrielle, we've only known each other for a few months. Maybe we're rushing things a bit?" David shrugged.

There was a ferocity in Gabrielle's eyes that made David catch his breath. Quickly, he leaned forward and put his hand on her cheek.

"Hey," he reassured her. "I'm not saying that we shouldn't. I'd be there tomorrow if you said the word, okay? I love you and I know that you love me. I also know that those feelings are never, never going to change. If you are certain, then great. If something about this doesn't feel right, I can wait till it does. I'm not going anywhere, Gabrielle."

He smiled, and the feral intensity died down a little.

"Remember when I told you that you didn't owe me for anything?" David continued.

She nodded and sniffed suddenly.

"Well," David continued. "I meant that. You don't have to do anything you aren't ready to do, just to show how you feel about me. I already know."

He smiled at her and she reached up and touched his hand, still caressing her cheek.

Her mouth opened to speak, and then closed again. She looked into his eyes, and David did see a twinge of fear there.

"I'm just so afraid that I might lose you," she finally said. "I want to give you everything, and I don't know how long we have. I want to make the most of every moment. Does that make any sense?"

David nodded. "Sure it does. But I don't want you to regret any of those decisions, just because you're afraid that something might happen tomorrow, okay? Tomorrow will always be there. I can tell you with great certainty, that the world will not end for at least two thousand years, and by then, old Professor MacGhee will be clearing out our family tomb to display our shit in a museum. So don't worry."

Gabrielle laughed suddenly, and at the same time, a tear rolled down her cheek. She enfolded herself in his embrace and sighed.

"Debbie was right about you," she said with a laugh.

David's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

Gabrielle nodded. "I couldn't find another man like you if I lived for a thousand years."

David grinned. "Careful," he said. "I could end up with a terribly inflated ego."

Gabrielle looked up at him. "I mean it." She said, and she smiled when she caught the subtle blush in his cheeks. She smiled.

"You get uncomfortable when someone compliments you, don't you?" she asked, her own anxiety vanishing as she realized what effect her words were having.

"What?" David replied. "No I don't."

Gabrielle sat up and looked at him, now smiling again. "Yes, you do."

David shook his head. "You're nuts."

Gabrielle leaned up next to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes. "Someone compliments you, and you get all embarrassed. It's like you don't think you deserve it."

"I'm trying to remain humble," David smiled.

"You?" Gabrielle laughed. "Humble? Oh please!"

"I said I was trying," David smiled, and he kissed her. "I never said I was succeeding."

The next morning, Gabrielle woke to discover David still awake, lying next to her, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"Did you sleep at all?" she asked, rolling over next to him.

David blinked suddenly, coming back from his thoughts.

"What?" he asked, looking over at her.

"Did you sleep at all?" Gabrielle repeated. There was something in his eyes that suddenly made her nervous.

David shrugged. "On and off. I've been thinking."

"Oh no," Gabrielle thought. Her anxiety jumped up another notch. When she spoke, she tried to sound casual.

"About what?" She braced herself.

Her attempt at nonchalance failed, and David smiled at her knowingly.

"I'm not putting the kibosh on the whole marriage thing," he reassured her. "But there is something I want you to do?"

Gabrielle internally sighed with relief. "What's that?"

"I have two days left to get this little plan done." David said. "I want you to get away from all of this insanity for the next two days."

She frowned.

"I want you to take some time for yourself. No wedding plans, no preparations, no nothing. Just you, a path, and a bunch of trees. Take a walk and think. If you come back in the same frame of mind about getting married, we'll do it this week. If not, I'll wait till you're ready, alright?"

"You're serious?" Gabrielle asked. "I mean-" she stammered. "I just don't want you to think – um,"

David put a finger on her lips and smiled. "Get out of town." He said playfully. "I'll be here when you get back. I promise. Pick a direction and go that way for one day, then return the next. When you get back into town, follow the music, okay?"

"Music?" Gabrielle stammered. "What music?"

"You're burning daylight," David said evenly, though his eyes told a more compassionate story. "Amscray."

Gabrielle gazed up through the trees as she walked. She had already covered several miles, and it was looking to be a temperate day. The sunlight permeated the canopy in a myriad of golden rays. She found her mind wandering as she walked, drifting back over the years to the times when she and Xena would be in transit from one adventure to another. Now, without some emergency driving her to some pre-appointed task, she actually felt a calming pleasure of her travel. She smiled and shook her head.

"He was right again," she mused, laughing softly.

"Yeah, isn't it a bitch when that happens?" a melodic voice echoed around her. Gabrielle stopped, looking around, then she caught the scent of roses and sighed.

"Hello, Aphrodite," she said. "What do you want?"

The Goddess appeared before her in a shower of sparks, grinning wide.

"What's up, girlfriend?" she asked. "What's shakin?"

Gabrielle smiled and shook her head. "Not very much."

The Goddess looked both directions, as if searching for someone and then looked back at the young bard.

"Where's your man?" she asked.

Gabrielle's smile faded a bit and she shrugged. "He's back at home, working on his little project."

"Ah," Aphrodite nodded knowingly. "So you're just out here, chilling, huh?"

"Something like that," Gabrielle said.

Aphrodite put her hands on her hips and stared at Gabrielle for a moment. Her face softened to something more serious, which was uncommon for her, though her smile remained.

"Those nightmares have been pretty intense, huh?" she finally said.

Gabrielle's eyes went wide. "You know about that?"

"Gabby," Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "What do you think? I've been keeping an eye on you two ever since you and your man hooked up."

"You have?"

"Well," The Goddess replied. "It's kind of hard not to. That man of yours radiates like a beacon. I mean, I've seen couples in love, and I've seen people smitten, especially when Cupid nails them. But I have _never _seen anyone so completely devoted to another person in centuries!"

"Really?"

"Hey," Aphrodite said evenly. "Look at what that boy went through, just to get to you. And I don't mind saying, he saw a few things along the way that would have discouraged most guys from trying."

"Like what?" Gabrielle asked with a sudden sense of vague dread.

Aphrodite looked at Gabrielle for a long moment. "Are you sure you want to know?"

That statement caused Gabrielle to pause for a moment. To hear the usually jovial Goddess sound so earnest made her gut twitch.

A feeling of dread began to creep up her spine. Finally she nodded.

Aphrodite shrugged and looked back in the direction Gabrielle had been heading.

"Okay," she said. "Let's walk."

The two women continued down the path.

"So," The goddess asked. "What did David tell you?"

Gabrielle shrugged. "He told me about bouncing around a little, before you helped him. And he told me about meeting Xena, and getting the pinch put on him."

"Yup," Aphrodite nodded. "Hey gave you the children's version."

"Oh?" The bard's eyebrows rose. "What did he leave out?"

The Goddess paused. "Maybe I shouldn't say anything. I mean, I did promise him that I wouldn't influence your decision. He was very set on that part."

"Hey!" Gabrielle said with a sudden vehemence that surprised them both. "I need to know, okay?" She paused and took a deep breath. "Sorry, I just – "she paused. "I really need to know." She finished more softly.

"Okay," Aphrodite shrugged. "I'll tell you what. You tell me what you're so afraid of, and I'll tell you what I know. Deal?"

Gabrielle nodded.

"Cool." Aphrodite smiled. "Okay, you first."

Gabrielle thought for a long time, framing her words as they walked. Finally she let out a long sigh.

"I suppose I'm afraid that I won't live up to his expectations," she finally confessed.

"What do you think he expects?" Aphrodite asked. She looked sidelong at Gabrielle with a sly smile. "Because if you're worried about technique, I could give you a few pointers?"

Gabrielle smiled. "Nothing like that," she paused. "I think?"

She saw the look on Aphrodite's face and smiled.

"On that," The Goddess's smile broadened. "I can tell you with more than reasonable certainty, that he is not complaining one bit."

The two women laughed, and then Aphrodite looked at her again.

"What other things do you think he expects?"

Gabrielle thought furiously, but the thoughts simply wouldn't congeal into anything that she could enunciate. She let a frustrated growl issue from her throat.

The Goddess saw the jumble of thoughts whirling in her mind and smile sympathetically.

"I'll tell you what," she offered. "How about I tell you what he expects, and we move on from there, okay?"

"Okay." Gabrielle agreed eagerly. They continued walking and the Goddess remained silent for several minutes.

"Well?" Gabrielle finally asked.

"Well what?" Aphrodite replied.

"What does he expect?" Gabrielle asked impatiently.

The Goddess smiled. "That's it."

"You didn't say anything!" Gabrielle retorted.

"Oh yeah," Aphrodite said, smiling. "Cool, huh?"

"But you didn't say anything!" Gabrielle said again.

"Because he doesn't expect anything from you, silly." Aphrodite shot back. "Don't you get it?"

Gabrielle stared back at her, utterly perplexed.

"Okay, fine," Aphrodite sighed. "There is one thing that he does want."

She looked at Gabrielle evenly and her smile pulled at her lips again. "He wants you to be happy."

"That's it?" Gabrielle asked.

"It?" Aphrodite replied. "Honey, that's the most important thing!"

"Aphrodite," Gabrielle exclaimed. "He's stuck here! Even if we didn't get married, he'd still be stuck here!"

"No he wouldn't!" Aphrodite shot back, and then her hands clamped over her mouth. "Oopsie."

"What do you mean, he wouldn't?" Gabrielle asked, her hands on her hips.

The Goddess looked like a small child, caught in the midst of mischief. "Nothing?"

Gabrielle stared hard at the Goddess.

"Okay, fine!" Aphrodite relented. "I told him that, if you decided you didn't want this, that I would, um, well, help him get back home."

"What?" Gabrielle's mouth dropped open. "You mean he could have gone back any time he wanted?"

"Yeah," Aphrodite admitted. "The point is, sister, that he _doesn't_ want to go back. In fact, he only _wants_ one thing – you. Maybe that's why you're having issues?"

Gabrielle stormed off down the path, her emotions all in turmoil. "Why is he putting me on a pedestal?" she blurted.

"What?" Aphrodite gaped. "You think he's put you on a pedestal?" She vanished in a flash and reappeared in front of Gabrielle.

"You stop right there!" She held a finger in front of Gabrielle's nose. "You better hope he puts you on a pedestal, because that's the only way you'd ever get close to him. You have him set on one so high that you're afraid you won't ever live up to his expectations! Talk about being totally whacked!"

Gabrielle opened her mouth to speak, but the Goddess wasn't done.

"And, now you want me to give you the gory details of what he's been through, just to get to you! Why? So you can set him up even higher?"

"No!" Gabrielle shot back. "Because – I want to know!"

"Fine!" Aphrodite snapped. "You want to know? Fine! Quick version! He dug through his own coffin, saw his own bones, watched his own funeral, got the pinch from your best friend and nearly died, and bounced around in a place that we Gods don't like to mess with because it scrambles _our _minds – and he did it twice, deliberately!" She folded her arms across her chest and seethed. "There! Satisfied?"

Gabrielle stood there, her mouth hanging open. "What do you mean, it scrambles your minds?"

Aphrodite calmed herself down with a few deep breaths and held her hands out, as if steadying herself.

"The Chronos Stone used to belong to the Gods," she said. "It was used as part of a test, if dad thought someone was worthy to join us, they would have to use the stone to prove their worth." She shrugged. "Most people who tried? Well, let's just say that it wasn't pretty."

Gabrielle was surprised to see the Goddess shudder, as if remembering something unpleasant. "Let's just say that David was the first one to use it in a long, long time, and not get fried, okay?"

"What about Autolicus?" Gabrielle asked.

"Oh, he was just messing around. He didn't do anything like your man," Aphrodite answered.

"Why did he do it?" Gabrielle asked suddenly.

"What? Come after you?" Aphrodite laughed. "Because, to him, you are all that matters."

"Aphrodite," Gabrielle said. "He had a life in the future. He had a home, friends!"

"Yup," Aphrodite agreed. "Then you showed up."

"Exactly!"

"And everything changed for him," Aphrodite nodded.

"Right!"

"And for you too." Aphrodite finished.

"Not really," Gabrielle answered immediately.

"No?" Aphrodite smiled a knowing smile. "Girl, you were bumming since Xena crossed over, and then you get zipped off to wherever, and meet someone who filled that hole in your life. It scares you."

Gabrielle resumed walking. "Yes it does," she admitted. "I'm afraid he's going to die too."

"And he will," Aphrodite answered simply. "Someday." She looked at Gabrielle for a long time. "You're still holding onto that whole "alive and hating you, dead and loving you," thing, aren't you?"

"Maybe I am," Gabrielle replied.

"Okay," Aphrodite put her hands together, musing. "Just to be practical, which is so not me. Let's assume for a moment, that David is here for reasons other than you."

Gabrielle looked sidelong at the Goddess, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Is he?"

Aphrodite put her hands on her hips. Gabrielle noted idly that this particular deity was never good at subterfuge.

"He is here for something else, isn't he?" She asked. "That was what the Stygian Witches meant when they called him the closed circle."

"What, those old cows?" Aphrodite replied. "Oh, baby, you can't trust anything they say. Never trust anyone who does his or her own decorating, that's what I always say. They could have meant anything by that."

"Dite?" Gabrielle pressed.

"Okay," Aphrodite relented again. "Okay. Surely you recognized a certain family resemblance between him and a certain someone else that you and Xena had a run in with?"

Gabrielle frowned and shook her head.

"Oh, come on Gabrielle," Aphrodite said anxiously. "Think about it, and think about that little twinge from last night."

Gabrielle thought, searching back in her memory. Suddenly, the image rose up out of her past like a ghost.

_She looked up into the green eyes of a man in a dark cloak with long dark hair and pale skin. His features were chiseled and well defined, even handsome. A thin, neatly trimmed goatee framed his mouth._

"_Um, hi," Gabrielle said helplessly._

_The man bent closer to her and grasped her by the neck and shoulder. She could not even struggle as the man looked at her neck. He turned her head roughly to the right and then to the left._

"_Did he bite you?" he asked urgently in a smooth crisp, accented baritone._

_Gabrielle was too stunned to answer. The look of the man, the feel of his cold skin against hers and his inhuman strength said that he was also a Bacchi._

"_Did he bite you?" he asked again in a ferocious growl._

"_No!" Gabrielle stammered._

_The man let her go and moved towards the sound of Xena's battle. He stopped and his eyes turned back to Gabrielle, still kneeling on the ground._

_The eyes went from a clear green to an inhuman glowing crimson, and the fangs extended as he smiled at her._

"_Run," he said in a deep growl. "Get far away from here, if you value your soul."_

Gabrielle's breath caught in her throat.

"Nickoli!" she gasped. "He looks like Nickoli!"

"That boy wasn't always a Bacchi, Gabrielle," Aphrodite admitted. "Before Big, Red, and Ugly got a hold of him, he was a family man. His children had children, and so on, and so on…all the way down to David, there."

"David is related to Nickoli Vampyra?" Gabrielle asked breathlessly.

"Oh, don't tell me you didn't realize it," Aphrodite said, then her smile faded. "You really didn't realize it, did you?"

"No!" Gabrielle shot back. "And I bet he doesn't know about it either!"

"Probably not," Aphrodite replied.

"I should probably tell him, then." Gabrielle retorted. "Don't you think?"

"Never mind about that," Aphrodite countered. "This isn't about me or the Gods, this is about you and your man."

"But – " Gabrielle started.

"Hey," Aphrodite countered again. "Let's keep this simple, okay? Do you love him?"

"Well, yes," Gabrielle answered honestly.

"And do you believe he loves you?" Aphrodite continued.

"Yes," Gabrielle said again.

Aphrodite suddenly looked wistful. "Could you spend the rest of your life in those arms?" she asked with a smile.

Gabrielle felt the smile pull at her lips and nodded. "Yes I could."

"Well," The Goddess said. "Then what are you all freaked out about?"

"I?" Gabrielle started, then she sighed. "I don't know."

"Then it's simple," Aphrodite said with a smile. "You've got yourself a case of the pre-wedding jitters. Don't freak about it. It happens to a lot of people."

"Jitters?" Gabrielle answered, not entirely convinced. "Are you saying that I'm just nervous?"

"In a nut shell?" Aphrodite answered. "Yup."

"That's ridiculous," Gabrielle replied.

Aphrodite smiled knowingly. "Is it?"

She grinned, shrugged and vanished again in her characteristic flash.


	5. The Beating of a Solitary Heart

**The Beating of a Solitary Heart**

The air was cool and dark as the moon floated in and out of view behind a thick veil of clouds. Shadows faded in and out of view like dark phantasms, as pale light drifted through the knotted branches above her head. It still looked like the same forest, but at the same time, it was also another place from many years in her past. She looked down at her self as she walked and found she was wearing her old green top and tan skirt. How long had it been since she had worn that particular outfit. In the back of her mind, she was certain that she still had it, tucked away safely, somewhere in a trunk back home. In her right hand was her old quarterstaff, a gift from Ephinny, so long ago. As she turned her head to look at it, the long tresses of her hair fell over her shoulder and she felt the weight of her traveling bag, filled with her belongings, including her scrolls, as it bounced gently against her left hip.

As she was taking all this in, she became aware of a second set of footsteps directly beside her, long and steady. Slowly her eyes drifted to the right, and then up the fine pale tunic past the dark cloak and the wavy cascades of dark hair. The pale skin of his profile as he strode with a casual gate. His hands were clasped behind his back, as if he were a nobleman, inspecting his personal orchards.

She looked up at his face again, and her breath caught. It was Nickoli Vampyra, and yet, not him. She couldn't believe what her eyes were showing her. David as Nickoli, or perhaps Nickoli as David. The similarities were almost terrifying. The hair was longer, like David's though dark, like Nickoli. The piercing green of the Bacchi's gaze was replaced by the deep, contemplative brown of her lover. His stride and the sound of his voice, David. The accent and movement of his limbs, Nickoli.

"What?" she gasped.

"Something concerns you?" The apparition said in David's voice, but with Nickoli's same crisp, fluid accent. It was almost maddening. She felt her heart begin to thunder in her ears, just like the last time she met the strange creature. That almost irresistible pull of attraction flared up within her.

She forced her lungs to work and continued walking.

The creature that was a combination of both friend and foe looked down at her and smiled coldly.

The ancient Bacchi gazed at her with David's thoughtful eyes. "You are not the child that was seduced all those years ago. There is wisdom in your eyes now, or perhaps we should simply call it practical experience?"

Gabrielle said nothing. It was as if she could no longer speak.

This hybrid of Nickoli smiled with David's smile, only much colder. "You still fear the blood," he said evenly. He seemed very pleased with himself. "That is good. That is very good. Yet you still took one of his mortal children as a lover in the end?" His eyebrows arched in wonder. "Perhaps you understood more than he gave you credit for?"

Gabrielle's mouth worked, and noises that might have been parts of words came out.

"The intriguing question is: Now that you stand at the threshold, you hesitate?" Nickoli said, raising a finger to emphasize his point. "Why?"

Gabrielle shuddered. David's voice with Nickoli's self assured arrogance was a chilling combination.

"What do you want?" Gabrielle finally asked.

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" He replied easily. "Everything all neat and tidy, presented before you in a simple little package? Forgive me, but this doesn't work that way. You have the pieces to the puzzle before you, but _you_ have to put them together. I can only present the choices."

"What are you?" Gabrielle asked.

"A guide," he replied easily. "One who can show you the possibilities. However, you must choose which path to follow. Think of me as your conscience, if that makes you feel any better."

"But why do you look like this?" Gabrielle persisted.

"My appearance was chosen by you," he replied easily. "It is a personification of those things which you fear and those things which you desire most. Before you had encountered your David, should we have encountered one another, I would have appeared to you as your late daughter, for that image represented those things you both feared and desired most."

"Hope?" Gabrielle whispered.

The man smiled again and nodded. "My appearance is a direct result of your journey down the path. You control how I am manifest."

"So," Gabrielle said, her nerves calming with the realization. "You represent the things I want the most, and scare me the most, right?"

"Quite so." He replied.

"But I've faced more dangerous things than Nickoli in my life?" Gabrielle countered.

"But none that so enthralled you, despite the terror." He said simply. "The fact that the terror was also so desirous made it the more intense for you. Drove it deeper into your soul, you understand?"

"I think I do," Gabrielle said uncertainly.

"Good," Nickoli replied. "Since that is settled, more or less, we can continue." He stepped past her and the universe suddenly opened up into a desolate stony land. Craggy mountains sore all around them to snowy, desolate peaks bathed in white clouds. There was no sun, though their was light. Pale and harsh, but brighter than the moon.

They stood upon a layer of shingle at the bottom of a wide shallow bowl that may have been a dry lake. Before him were two doors. Within each door she could see an image of Lila's home. It was night, and the moonlight shone silver on the bed within. On one bed, David lay, slumbering peacefully. On the other, there was nothing, as if the bed were waiting for her to return.

"Your choices are quite simple, actually," Nickoli said softly as he stepped past her to stand behind, allowing her full view of both scenes. "It is a similar choice faced by the one who lies there." He pointed at David. "He set his feet upon his path, now, you must do the same. You need not choose the same, if you do not wish it."

"How do I know which one is the right one for me?" Gabrielle asked, staring at both possibilities.

"You must follow your heart," the man said behind her. His voice had dropped somewhat and there was an icy edge to it.

"I know what my heart says,' Gabrielle replied. "But I also know what my mind says. I just can't tell which is which."

"That can be easily remedied," the voice said again from behind her, now even more chill and malevolent. "Your heart tells you what you want, your mind tells you what you need. When the two are in harmony, the answers are easily reached."

There was something so evil, so menacing in that voice that Gabrielle felt her blood chill in her veins. Once again, her heart began to pound as she perceived some threat, some monstrosity near her. Her instincts screamed to life.

She turned to look at the man behind her and saw him, large and ominous, with glowing eyes and deep protruding fangs. Blood dripped from his chin and an inhuman growled issued forth from his throat, echoing in the valley. His hands ended in razor sharp claws and he stared at her with pure, unrestrained hunger.

"How would you choose to face me?" he roared and he charged at her, murder in his hungry crimson gaze. An inhuman howl split the night. Gabrielle didn't think, she merely reacted. She turned and bolted through the door where she could see David, lying asleep. All she wanted was to be safe. To feel protected from this monster closing in on her. She dove through the opening…

And rolled over in a fright, her eyes locking on the embers of her dying campfire, the bedroll soaked in sweat and a scream dying on her lips, replaced by the distant, wailing howl of a wolf, somewhere in the hills. Her hands found her weapons and she was on her feet in an instant, her breath heaving and her heart booming in her chest.

Her eyes darted to and fro, searching for that monstrous figure before she realized that she had succumbed, yet again, to another horrible dream. She dropped back onto the soft earth and rubbed her head, fighting back the tide of emotions. In that turmoil, one thing became abundantly clear.

Her eyes drifted up and to the east where she beheld the first rays of the morning sun. How much of that had been the dream, she wondered. Then her eyes fixed on the path down which she had chosen. She had made camp at a small junction. Two roads stretched out before her. One led back to Poditea, back home, back to him. The other led away from him and to unknown places.

"David," she breathed, and without even bothering to pack her meager supplies, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her towards home.

Once she had gone, a single shadow stepped out of the concealing underbrush, his usual wry smile on his bearded face. Ares crossed his arms over his chest and chuckled.

"That should about do it," he mused, and he vanished in a flash of light.

David wiped the sweat from his brow as he and the rest of his crew positioned the last of the heavy timbers that framed the pavilion. With the added support, the old floor of the dismantled house was now stable. David helped position the timber and began hammering the long wooden dowel into place. He looked over at Salius and Timitus, working on the small open-air archway that would serve as the focal point for the wedding ceremony. He smiled.

The heat had been unusually intense that afternoon and the men had gone through massive amounts of water to keep hydrated.

He was just about to send one of the boys to fetch Beltanus and the "beer wagon" when another worker came running up to him.

"I think you might have a problem," he grinned.

"Oh?"

"She's coming this way," the man said quickly. "And she's not even being sneaky about it."

"Oh, really?" David smiled. "Well, I'll just head her off at the pass." He gave a few instructions and jogged quickly off towards the bend in the road. There was no way she was going to get a quick peek before that night.

He rounded the bend and saw her coming toward him.

"Hey!" he shouted. "I told you to come back here tonight," his voice trailed off as she drew near and his smile melted to an expression of concern.

She staggered up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she fell.

"Whoa," David caught her. "Easy now."

Her breath was rasping, and despite the humidity and the heat, she was perfectly dry.

David looked down at her skin and saw the faint coating of pale salt all over her body.

"Oh shit," he breathed, and he scooped her up, running back towards the work site as fast as he could.

Once he was within earshot, he bellowed at the top of his lungs.

One by one the laughter and hollering faded as the men on the site realized something was amiss.

"Salius!" David bellowed as he rushed past the first few men and headed for the barn. "Unhitch one of the horses and get back to town! I need several large table cloths that your father uses! Go!" He looked over a several other men standing next to one of the tables.

"Get buckets of cool water, fast!"

The men darted off towards the nearby stream.

David passed into the barn and used his leg to clear a long bench. He could feel the quivering in Gabriele's muscles.

"She is going to cramp like a son of a bitch," he muttered as he lay her down. He turned and shouted through the open doors."Where's that damned water!"

He pulled his shirt off and ripped it into two large pieces as the first man came in with a full pail.

David dunked the rags, rolled one of them up and placed it underneath her neck. The second one he left saturated and began gently wiping water across her limbs.

"Just take it easy." He said quietly as her head moved slowly from side to side. Her mouth moved, though David couldn't make out the words.

"It's okay," he whispered in her ear. "I'm right here. Just lay quiet now."

Her body slowly began to roll to one side as her limbs contracted. Soft painful sounds began to emanate from her lips.

"Here it comes," David thought. Gabrielle winced as all her muscles began to tighten of their own volition. He continued wiping her down as the men brought in more and more water.

David also called for a small cup, and began having her drink slowly in small sips as he tried to get her re-hydrated. The whole time, she never stopped looking at him, her eyes pleading as the strangled moans issued from her. Her body began to shiver.

Another man, standing near the door shook his head. "I seen this before," he muttered. "When a man get like that, it's all over."

"Anything constructive to offer, Garson?" David shot at him. "If not, grab some of those lemons from the table and bring them here!" His eyes blazed with determination.

The chided man, Garson, a thin, middle aged man whose frame seemed to be constructed of tough wire, ran out to the large table and scooped up a big wooden bowl that still held some of the remnants from their early afternoon meal. In it were several large lemons. He brought them in and set them next to David's feet.

"Another bucket, only half full of water, please," David ordered as he continued attempting to cool down Gabrielle's body.

The bucket magically appeared at his feet next to the bowl. David dunked the rag in the water again and let it rest on Gabrielle's shoulders. The cool water running down her back and chest. She watched him with eyes, alight with pain.

"Just try and take it easy, don't fight it. It'll only make it worse," he said as he drew out his big bowie knife and sliced the lemons in half. He squeezed them into the water and dropped the rinds in after. Then he sloshed the bucket around a bit before dipping the small cup and putting it to her lips.

"Just sip it," he instructed her. Her throat convulsed reflexively as the liquid went down her throat. She coughed and winced in pain.

"I said sip it," David smiled gently.

"I did," Gabrielle croaked. "I can't move," she gasped a few moments later.

"I know," David said quickly. "Just relax. Your muscles are cramping because you're dehydrated. It'll take a while."

"It hurts," she winced. She took a little more of the water and this time, it made it down her throat. She could feel the cooling fingers spreading throughout her body, and fizzling away as the heat within her body consumed it.

The sound of galloping hooves could be heard from outside. A few moments later, Salius and Timitus came running in with armloads of fabric.

"Got them!" Salius announced, breathing heavily.

"Good," David said quickly. "Setone down, then each of you take one down to the stream, stand right out in the middle and soak them for a count of thirty. Then, as you bring them back here, I want you to twirl it over your head as fast as you can, understand?"

The two young men looked at him in confusion.

"You want us to twirl them?" Salius asked.

"Over our heads?" Timitus finished.

"That's right," David replied. "Get going! I'll explain later. Salius, you come back first, Timitus, wait five minutes before you come back, then just keep them coming, okay?"

Exchanging curious looks, the two young men jogged out of the barn with their fabric in tow.

David went back to trying to cool Gabrielle's body. She watched him intently, her face tight.

"I wasn't expecting this, you know," David said casually. "I know you wanted to see the little project going on here, but, Hell. I was expecting you to try something a little more subtle?"

He removed the rolled cloth from behind her neck and dunked it in the water again before replacing it. Her eyes simply stayed locked on him as he worked.

"I guess you had a revelation of some kind?" David asked. "It must have been a pretty big one to have you sprinting all the way back here?"

Gabrielle felt the cooling water washing over her and she swallowed dryly. David fed a little more of the lemon water to her. She was able to drink it more easily. The tendrils of coolness flowed a little further into her limbs with each sip.

After a small eternity, the pain in her limbs began to ease; though she was still unable to move.

Then Salius came walking into view, swinging the large cloth over his head. He caught it neatly and his eyes widened momentarily in surprise as he handed it to David.

"Understand now?" David asked with a smile as he let the cloth fall atop Gabrielle's body.

Gabrielle felt a shock of cold, cooler than she would have anticipated. The feeling soaked into her skin as she lay, mostly in the fetal position.

David dipped the cup and held it back to her lips. She drank a little more deeply and felt the coolness flow into her.

David finished with the cup and put his hand gently on the cloth covering her. Then he removed it as Timitus came in with the next one. David handed the used cloth to the boy and took the second one, draping that over Gabrielle. The coolness settled back over her as the new cloth contacted her flesh. Suddenly she felt sweat beading on her forehead.

Timitus stood there marveling.

David looked back. "Get rolling, kiddo," he ordered. Quickly, the young man ran off back towards the spring.

"Where'd you learn this trick?' Gabrielle asked weakly.

David smiled. "Read it in a book when I was a kid. I honestly didn't know if it would work."

He wiped the sweat from her face.

"That's a good sign," he commented, then he gave her more of the lemon tainted water.

Gabrielle sipped again and sighed.

"You're always going to be there, aren't you?" she asked with just a hint of resignation.

David seemed to consider that for a long moment as he set the cup at her lips again. Then he nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I will. Unless you think I should, uh?" He held up a hand and smiled softly. "Never mind. You're in no condition to make important decisions. Just relax."

"No," Gabrielle started, but David held the cup to her lips again, silencing her protest.

"Later," he said. "Later."

The sun was almost completely set behind the distant hills when David called off the last of the chilled blankets.

Even the skeptical Garson was amazed that Gabrielle still lived and seemed to – unbelievably – be recovering.

David left the last blanket on her and kept giving her the water. Her limbs had relaxed and she lay on her back, her eyes closed.

David had stopped with the water and was gently massaging Gabrielle's strained muscles. She let his strong fingers sooth the fire in her limbs as he worked.

Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at him as he went back to the nearly empty pail of lemon water. When he turned back, she was staring at him drowsily.

"Well?" he said casually. "You've nearly overheated, cramped up, sweated it out, and stopped again. I'd say you've run the entire gambit."

"David?" she asked thickly.

David's eyebrows rose as he pressed the cup to her again. He actually managed to raise a hand and stop him.

"I need to ask you something," she said.

"Drink the last of this, and then you can do whatever you want." David said. He held the cup to her lips and let her drink it at her own pace. Once it was gone, she sighed.

"Is it done?" she asked. David looked down at the pail and nodded.

"I'd say that you've drunk the whole two or three gallons, yup." David replied.

"I mean, your little project?" Gabrielle asked.

"Oh," David said, smiling. "Aside from a little detail work, yeah, its done. I don't think you're in any condition for the guided tour, though."

"I don't care," Gabrielle said. "I want to have the ceremony here. Tomorrow."

"T-tomorrow?" David stammered. "Uh, okay. Not much time to get everything ready."

"I don't care," Gabrielle said. "I just want to get married as soon as possible."

"Damn," David smiled. "That's a switch. Must have been one hell of a revelation?"

Gabrielle smiled weakly. "You could say that."

"I thought I just did?" David grinned. Then he paused. "We'll need someone to supervise the ceremony, of course." Then his smile spread again. Gabrielle recognized it.

"You're doing it again," she said, her hand coming up to massage the headache growing in her skull.

"Post de-hydration hangover?" David asked.

"Partly," Gabrielle managed to add a touch of sarcasm of her own.

"Good," David grinned. "I'll be right back."

He stepped out of the barn and moved a few paces from view.

"Yoohoo?" he called softly. "I know you're still hanging around."

There was a puff of sparks and the familiar smell for fresh roses.

"Yoohoo?" Aphrodite placed her hands on her hips. "That's not the best way to get my attention, you know?"

"Hey," David shrugged. "It worked. I need your help with something."

"Oh?" the Goddess smiled. "Is this that other part you mentioned?"

"Yup, though I was planning on a couple of days to convince you," He shrugged again. "I need you to marry us tomorrow?"

"Me?" Aphrodite asked in surprise. "Oh, I don't know. I mean, I always cry at these things. How is it going to look if I start sobbing up there while I do whatever I do?"

"I think you'd do very well, actually," David said. "Besides, why should I deal with someone who speaks for you, when I got the real deal, blonde and beautiful, standing right in front of me?"

Aphrodite stared at him for a long time, and her smile grew as an excited look flared up in her eyes. "Okay, hotshot," she finally said excitedly. "I'll do it." Then a sudden look of panic came over her.

"Oh, man," she gasped. "What am I gonna wear? I need a facial, and my nails done, and – I have to cancel that day spa deal! I gotta jet! I'll see the two of you tomorrow!"

"Uh, okay," David said. "I just need to get a few details wrapped up with this place. Then we'll be set."

"What?" Aphrodite said, stopping in the middle of vanishing. "Oh no you don't. I'm not going to have time to get you two a wedding gift before all this. So…"

She pointed a finger at the job site and smiled. "Whammo!"

David winced in fear. There was a flash of light, and when the spots cleared in front of his eyes, he grinned.

The tools were gone, the grass was clipped, and flowers decorated the posts leading up to the pavilion. The small archway at the far end was covered in white roses and the wood floor shone wetly in the fading light.

David folded his arms across his chest and looked back at the Goddess.

"Perfect," he said.

"Honey," Aphrodite said. "A tip. Never do your own decorating, kay?"

She grinned, waved, and vanished.

When David came back into the barn, he found Gabrielle pulling herself up into a seated position, and groaning from the effort.

"Easy there, killer," David said quickly as he moved to her side. "You shouldn't be moving around yet."

Gabrielle set one foot on the ground, then the other, and would have promptly slid all the way down if David hadn't stepped quickly to catch her.

"You just ran a world record marathon in ninety degree weather, babe," he said as he helped her back up to her feet. "Quit pushing for a while, okay? You're making me nervous."

She was still drawn and quite pale, but she smiled. "I just need to walk it off a bit."

"Okay, Coach," David replied. "But only as long as you have an escort."

He helped her walk a few experimental laps around the open part of the barn. She paused at one of the stalls when she saw a large, neatly stacked pile of furniture.

"What's all that for?" she asked.

"Oh, that?" David replied. "Just some furniture for the house." He looked past her at the stack.

"Kitchen table and chairs, couch, some end tables, shelves, a couple of wardrobe closets, night stands" He leaned in close to her and whispered seductively. "Bed."

Gabrielle smiled and managed a weak jab into his belly.

"Who's house?" she asked.

David seemed genuinely shocked. "Ours, of course."

"We have a house?" Gabrielle asked. "You've managed a lot in two days."

David scratched his head nervously. "In point of fact, the house isn't built yet, but I found the perfect place for it."

"Where?" Gabrielle asked.

"Here." David answered. "Or more precisely, over there." He pointed out through the open doors to the clearing across from the small walkway that the crew had built. She saw the thick stringing of white flowers arching between two posts. Suddenly, the majority of her fatigue seemed to fade away, and she began walking towards the opening.

"Wait a second," David stepped in front of her. He looked her in the eye.

"Before you step out of this building and view the surrounding area, I need to warn you that, barring a major natural catastrophe, you might be require to eat a substantial amount of crow. Are you prepared?"

She laughed, and that also seemed to ease the pain in her limbs. "I have no idea what you're saying," she admitted.

David shrugged. "Good. Come on, then."

She moved stiffly to the open door and stopped when she saw it.

Her old house was gone, mostly. In its place was a wide, low platform, strung from end to end in white flowers. A wooden arch stood at one end, decorated in fine white roses that seemed to glow in the light of a rising moon, and the flagstones shone a pale gray.

"David," she breathed. "Where's my old house?"

"Ah, well," David shrugged. "You only gave me two days, remember?"

He led her to the pavilion and they stepped up looking about them.

Gabrielle stared in wonder at everything, her eyes wide.

"So, you're sure you want to do this tomorrow?" he asked. "Because I don't know how long the flowers are going to last, so I might need to call in a favor and have them replaced if we wait too – "

Her lips met his, silencing him.

When they finally parted, he smiled. "I guess we're on for tomorrow, then?"

"We still need a priest," Gabrielle asked. "Unless you managed to findone while you were taking care of me?"

"Priest?" David asked as if the thought was an insult to him. "Why a priest? Baby, when I do something, I go all the way. A priest is a middle man."

"David," Gabrielle said suspiciously. "You're making me nervous again."

"Trust me," David said slyly. Then he looked about. He stepped back away from her and bowed formally. "May I have this dance?"

Gabrielle smiled through her confusion. "There's no music."

David stepped up and took her in his arms. "Who needs music?" he countered and he began leading her across the floor.

After several minutes of non-stop laughter on her part, she had to beg him to pause.

"It still hurts," she confessed. "And I'm so tired. I need to rest."

"Absolutely," David agreed. His demeanor changed back to one of compassion. "I'm pushing again. Come on. Let's head back to town."

Gabrielle shook her head. "I don't think I can make it. We can stay here tonight, in the barn."

David rolled his eyes theatrically. "The _barn_? Oh my God, she want's the _barn_?" He led her back to the large building, moaning over exaggerated variations of that theme all the way.

"David?"

"Yes dear?"

"You're pushing again."

"Yes dear."


	6. Blues and Vows

**Showtime!**

****

They were about to settle into a makeshift bed when they saw a soft puff of sparks and smelled the familiar scent of roses. Aphrodite stood before them, her hands on her hips, eyes boring into David's with unnatural intensity.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded angrily.

"What?" David asked, totally taken aback. "We were about to call it a night and get some sleep?"

"The night before the wedding?" Aphrodite replied. "I don't think so!"

"But?" David started.

"I don't want to hear it!" Aphrodite raised a hand to stop him.

"But," David began again.

"Honey," Aphrodite fixed him with a stern look. "Talk to the hand, cause the ears ain't listening!"

The Goddess took him by the arm and practically yanked him towards the door.

"You don't get to see her the night before the wedding, it's, like, so bad luck!" She got him to the doors and practically shoved him out into the yard. "Besides," She finished with a grin. "We got plans tonight. You know, girl stuff?"

"Girl stuff?" David repeated.

"Yeah," Aphrodite put her hands on her hips, looked him up and down, and smiled. "And frankly, you don't have the right equipment for the club. Sorry." The barn doors began to swing shut.

David caught one just before it closed and leaned inside.

"Just go easy on her, okay?" he requested. "She had a rough day."

"Don't get your undies in a bunch, studly," Aphrodite smiled. "I got nothing wild planned for her." Her smile took on a more mischievous look. "That'll be your job tomorrow."

David nodded and turned away. Then he turned quickly back. "If you get anything, make sure she drinks a lot of fluids, okay? The non alcoholic kind?"

"What are you?" Aphrodite asked. "Her mother, or her fiancée? Go get a drink somewhere!"

The doors slammed shut with authority.

David stood there, staring at them for a few moments before turning to face the darkened yard.

"Yeah, sure," he muttered. Sighing, he went over and retrieved his knapsack, slinging it casually over his shoulder. Some of the beer was still cool in the barrels, left over from the day's construction. He filled a pitcher and, headed off through the grass towards the small pond on the far end of the property.

The table and chairs were still where they had left them, next to the oak tree. He set the pitcher down and set about making a small fire. Once the flames were crackling merrily, he pitched the small tent and sat down next to the flames, rifling through his bag.

Strong pairs of hands massaged all the tension from Gabrielle's strained muscles. The oil let those fingers slide effortlessly across her flesh. She closed her eyes and let a contented sigh escape her lips. On the table next to hers, Aphrodite wore a similar expression on her face.

"Isn't this great?" she asked, looking over at Gabrielle.

Gabrielle sighed again and smiled. The two men massaging her worked effortlessly.

The barn loft had been transformed into something more akin to a day spa. Steam issued from a small brazier and the whole places was covered in roses.

"Still," Aphrodite complained. "It isn't as good as the place I go to. I could take you there?"

"I want to stay right here," Gabrielle replied easily.

Aphrodite shrugged. "Your call. But I think you're missing out."

"I wonder what David's doing?" Gabrielle asked suddenly. Her eyes looked out through the openstorm shutterand across the property, towards the pond. In the distance, she could see the yellow glow of a small fire.

"Probably hanging with the guys and getting drunk," Aphrodite replied. "Don't worry. I'm sure he's fine."

The sounds of the night creatures could be heard singing in the distance. Frogs called and crickets chirped. The perfumed air was heavy with the additional scent of moisture, and a soft mist began to flow across the flat grass.

As she listened, she could hear the sound of someone playing music. It sounded like a lyre, or even a harp, but different somehow. Deeper and richer. The notes had a mournful, almost forlorn tone to them. It mingled so with the other night sounds, that at first, she wasn't sure what she was hearing.

Then another sound drifted up from the direction of the fire. Soft and melancholy, with a slightly metallic tone to it. The notes rose and fell in a long slow cascade of emotion that suddenly pulled at her heart.

"What is that?" she asked. She moved to rise, but Aphrodite held out a hand. "I'll look. You stay right there."

Holding a towel over her, Aphrodite went to the open loft window and peered out towards the pond.

Her keen eyes found David, sitting at ease near the fire, his hands cupped over his mouth, holding something small and silver to his lips. She saw no one else near him, yet the other instrument played, as if it came from the water itself. Frowning, she listened to it and then heard David's instrument answer it.

His eyes wereclosed, as if he were feeling the music as well as hearing it. The soft metallic notes rose and fell sadly.

"What is it?" Gabrielle asked.

Aphrodite laughed softly as she watched him play.

"It's your man," she said.

"Who's with him?" Gabrielle asked.

Aphrodite frowned as she searched for the person playing the second instrument, but she couldn't find anyone else.

"I don't see anyone?"

Frowning, Gabrielle rose and stepped next to the Goddess. She could see the small tent. Like a soft bump on the grass. Next to it, she could make out the shape of her husband, illuminated in the light of the fire, hunched over his hands and playing the strange little device.

The two of them listened to the soft blues for a while.

"I think he's trying to make us feel guilty," Aphrodite said, her brows creasing to a frown.

Gabrielle smiled gently. "No he isn't."

She could feel the soft yearning call of the notes. It bathed the land in a soft, gentle calm. Everything seemed more alive and peaceful. As they watched, several deer moved across the field, near to where David played. They paused, contemplating the figure by the fire and then grazed contentedly. The night sounds molded around his music, adding to it.

Aphrodite's frown melted away as she listened and she smiled.

"It's for you," she said nodding her head. She turned and went back to the table, letting the two acolytes resume their work on her. "Man, you've got that boy hooked!"

Gabrielle watched him and sighed. "Other way around, I think."

"Yeah, well," Aphrodite replied, feeling the fingers work at her neck and shoulders. "I still think he's trying to make us feel guilty."

In that moment, the luxuries that Aphrodite had provided didn't matter. Gabrielle rested her arms on the edge of the window and let her chin fall, her eyes gazing out dreamily at the man she would marry, sitting all alone by the pond, playing soft music to the night.

Aphrodite watched her for a while and sighed. She waived the acolytes away and pointed her finger near the window. In a flash, a large steaming tub of bubbly water materialized.

"Hop in," she said. "At least you can relax while you look at him?"

Gabrielle looked behind her at the tub and smiled. She let herself slide in, feeling the heat melt away the remaining aches in her muscles.

"I still want to know who else is out there." Aphrodite said as she slid in across from her. "That's like, so weird."

"If I know David," Gabrielle sighed, leaning her head back against the edge of the tub. "There's probably a logical explanation for it."

"Like what?" Aphrodite asked.

Gabrielle shrugged. "You'd have to ask him."

They continued to listen and Aphrodite finally smiled in understanding.

David continued playing, his mind drifting to that place of serenity that only the blues could take someone. He let the harmonica sing, answering the guitar on the recording. For the first time in his life, he was at peace.

The small MP3 player and speakers sat next to him, on the ground. The guitar accompaniment was a recorded session that his friend, Dusty, made in the tiny studio that he had set up in the basement of his home. Dusty had made the recording when David had begun learning to play the harmonica several years prior. Since then, they had made a few more. David took them along when he was on trips. He would play the recording, and answer the notes that Dusty played. It was a way for him to practice and still retain the solitude that he sometimes desired.

Every now and then, his eyes drifted up toward the barn, and he saw the silhouette of Gabrielle, leaning against the window, watching him from a distance. He smiled and continued to play until she had vanished from view.

A sound behind him caught his attention and he turned, seeing another figure standing near the tree.

"We were expecting you at the inn, tonight," Lila said as she stepped into view. "When you didn't show up, I figured you might still be at the house?"

"Hi," David smiled. "Come on. Have a seat."

"I didn't want to intrude," Lila said, her eyes searching for a second person.

David smiled and reached down, switching off the MP3 player.

"You aren't," he said. He gestured to the log he was seated on. "Please?"

Lila watched as he moved the small white object out of the way. She frowned.

"What's that?" she asked. "And who was playing the lyre?"

"Guitar, actually," David corrected her. He held up the small device. "And it was coming from this."

Lila nodded, still none the wiser.

"So," she asked. "Why are you out here, all by yourself?"

David looked at the fire for a moment and shrugged. "I just felt like being by myself for a while."

"Not having second thoughts, are you?" Lila asked with a smile.

"No," David replied. "Just going over everything that's happened in the past year, or so."

"Want to talk about it?" Lila folded her hands in her lap and looked at him expectantly.

David shrugged, his eyes fixed on the crackling flames. "Not much to say, I guess. Just the usual pre-wedding angst."

"Why?" Lila pressed gently. "What are you nervous about?"

"Oh, the usual," David replied. "Will I be able to make her happy? Will I give her the kind of life she deserves?" He smiled and looked at his future sister-in-law. "Will she be able to deal with me?"

Lila smiled. "You haven't seen her while you've been doing all this." She gestured towards the newly built wedding pavilion. "She is more alive now than she has been in a long time. When Xena passed away, something inside my sister died as well."

Lila looked at David seriously. "The night she came back from her adventure with you, she was so grim. It was like the light had gone completely out inside her. She didn't care whether she lived or died. When she said she was going away, I knew in my heart that she meant she was going away to die."

David saw remembered pain on Lila's face. Then her expression lightened.

"The next thing I know, you show up at my door." She smiled. "You saved Gabrielle's life, David. Do you understand that? You saved her life."

She laughed quietly. "And watching the two of you these past weeks has been a hoot, I can tell you. There's no question that you two deserve each other."

David grinned. "I'm not sure how I should take that?"

Lila patted him on the knee and stood up. "By the way," she said stepping over to the small table and retrieving a small bundle of cloth. "I've got something for you."

She opened the bundle and drew out a finely woven white tunic, like a poet's shirt.

"Where'd you find that?" David asked.

Lila smiled. "I had a bit of fabric left over from one of my other little projects."

"You made this?" David exclaimed in surprise. "How'd you know my size?"

"You brought clothes with you, remember?" Lila said knowingly. "I just borrowed one of your shirts."

David nodded appreciatively.

"Now, about the rest of your outfit," Lila continued. "Where is your vest?"

"My vest?" David asked. "I thought the two of you were going to find something more local?"

"I was planning to," Lila replied. "But Gabrielle thought you'd look better in your things. Do you have anything nice enough for a wedding?"

"A biker wedding, perhaps," David replied. "Black jeans, my boots, my jacket?"

"The hide jacket that you were wearing beneath the cloak?" Lila asked.

"Yeah," David replied as he rummaged about in his knapsack and drew out a pair of black denim pants that he had yet to wear.

"And those boots?" Lila asked. She pointed at the boots he was wearing. He looked down at them and sighed. They were scuffed and pretty well worn.  
"Afraid so," David replied.

Lila thought for a few moments. "Give me those." She instructed.

"Give you my boots?" David asked.

Lila gestured impatiently. "You're staying here for the night, I assume?"

"I was planning on it," David replied.

"Fine." Lila said as she took the boots. "I'll be back in the morning. Now, give me your vest."

David did as instructed.

"Now," Lila continued, smiling. "Get some sleep, young man. You have a big day tomorrow."

She folded the vest neatly and tucked it under her arm.

"Let me ask you something, David?" she said suddenly.

David nodded.

"Do you love her?"

David smiled. "With all my heart."

"Then quit worrying about everything else. You two will be fine." Lila gave him a motherly smile and headed back toward the village.

It wasn't until that moment that David realized he was truly about to be married the following day. Nervous knots formed in his belly as he smiled.

He grabbed the pitcher of beer and took a big drink.

After a few moments, he forced himself to calm down and turned the music on again, bringing the harmonica back to his lips.

The next thing he realized was that the sun was up and shining through his eyelids in a brilliant red. An insistent voice said his name and he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Instantly, David's eyes snapped open and he sat up. Beside him was the empty pitcher from the previous night. His harmonica slid down his chest and fell to the grass.

"Huh? What?" he stammered.

Standing above him with a huge grin on his face, was Beltanus, the inn keeper.

David squinted against the bright morning sun.

"Hey, Bill," he said. "What's up?"

"Obviously, not you," Beltanus grinned. He stood over David, holding a neatly ordered bundle of clothing. "Come on, get up. You've got a wedding to get ready for."

A sudden sense of panic washed over David. "Oh God! Am I late? Did I oversleep or something?"

Beltanus laughed. "No, you have time. Lila sent me here early, just to make sure. Now, get cleaned up and I'll get your clothes ready."

"How much time have we got?" David asked as he stripped out of his clothing.

"A couple of hours yet." Beltanus replied. "No rush. Take your time."

David dove into the pond and washed himself off quickly. Beltanus set the clothes across the table and busied himself making a quick meal over the rekindled fire.

In spite of a sudden loss of appetite, David managed to eat a small breakfast, and then he got himself dressed.

Lila had obviously spent a great amount of time and effort cleaning and oiling his jacket and vest. They gleamed in the morning sun as if they were brand new. Even his boots had been polished to a fine sheen.

When he was ready, his long hair had been pulled back in a straight, well brushed ponytail. He wore black jeans, the white shirt that Lila had sewn for him, his vest and boots, and his leather jacket.

Beltanus walked around him, inspecting the jacket and wiping any excess oil that he found with a cloth.

"Well, you make a fine looking groom, if I may say," he said smiling. David could see the guests beginning to arrive up by the pavilion. He swallowed.

"Nervous?" Beltanus asked, still smiling.

"Yeah, a little," David replied in a stiff voice.

"Why? You've been married before."

"Yeah," David replied. "But I was still a bit tipsy after the bachelor party the night before."

"So?"

"I'm stone cold sober now!" David exclaimed. "Kind of makes things a bit more intense, you know?"

"Relax," Beltanus said, straightening the front of the jacket. "Just get up there, say your vows, and you'll be fine."

"My vows?" David's eyes went wide in horror. "Oh shit, Bill. I don't know what to say? I didn't even think about it?"

"Then just get up there, look into Gabrielle's eyes, and say whatever comes to mind," Beltanus offered, obviously finding great amusement in David's suffering.

"I'm screwed," David moaned.

"Too late to back out now, my friend," Beltanus taunted mercilessly. "Besides, I've got all that food coming for the feast. It'd be a terrible waste if we didn't use it."

David looked back at his de-facto best man. "You find this all very funny, don't you?"

"Absolutely," Beltanus said, smiling. He gestured towards the pavilion. "Shall we?"

David took a deep breath and began moving towards the gathering guests. Suddenly he stopped and ran back towards the campsite.

"Damn, I almost forgot!" he exclaimed. He rummaged about in the bottom of the knapsack and draw out a battered paperboard box. Inside, he had two cigars remaining. He drew one of the silver cylindersout and began walking back towards the party.

"Gotta have the fat lady," he said with relief. "Could have blown the whole deal right there."

"Fat lady?" Beltanus frowned in confusion.

David held up the cigar. "I got two of these left. One for today, and the other one?" He smiled.

It seemed that the entire village had shown up for the event. In a small village like Poditia, that wasn't uncommon. David likened it to living in a small town back home. Everyone knew everyone else and their business.

He made the rounds and shook hands for a while before someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and caught his breath in surprise.

"Aphrodite?" he gasped in shock.

She stood before him, dressed in a simple, yet elegant dress of Greek fashion. It was a soft rosy pink in color. She smiled in approval.

"You look great!" David exclaimed.

"I know," Aphrodite replied smugly. "But thanks anyway. So, you ready, big boy?"

David felt the impending dread creep up into his chest again. He still hadn't had a chance to think about what he would say when it came time for the vows.

"Me? Ready?" he asked. He was sure his complexion paled slightly. "Sure, all set, I think?"

Aphrodite hooked her arm around his and smiled encouragingly. "You'll do fine. Come on."

The guests all took their seats and David went to stand at the end of the short aisle. Aphrodite took her place on the simple raised platform and folded her hands before her, waiting.

She leaned over closer to David and smiled. "Showtime."

David looked back at her and grimaced. "Is everyone going to have fun at my expense today?"

When he turned back, all his fear and angst seemed to vanish.

Gabrielle stood at the end of the aisle, dressed in a simple, yet beautiful white dress. Soft white flowers adorned her hair and she carried a bouquet of white roses in her hands. David noted the equally white knuckled grip in which she held the flowers.

He smiled and saw her smile nervously in return as she walked towards them.

Behind him, he thought he heard a sniffle.

Then Gabrielle stood facing him, looking up into his dark eyes with a mixture of expectation and nervousness. He smiled.

"Okay, everybody," Aphrodite said in a clear voice. "We're all here today to witness the joining of Gabrielle and David, in marriage." She stopped suddenly and they saw her eyes already misting over. After a deep breath to compose herself, she spoke again.

"If there is anyone lame enough to think these two shouldn't be married, then speak up?"

"Lame enough?" David mouthed to Gabrielle. He saw some of her tension vanish as she smiled.

No one spoke, much to David's relief, not that Aphrodite gave anyone much time.

"Fine," she said. She looked at the two of them. "Take her hand, David."

They clasped hands in front of the Goddess. She wrapped a silken ribbon around their wrists and stepped back a pace.

"If you have anything you want to say to each other, you can do so?" Aphrodite instructed. Her voice was tightening by the moment.

Neither one of them spoke for a long moment. They simply looked into each others eyes.

"Gabby?" Aphrodite asked.

Gabrielle blinked. She took a deep breath and looked up at him.

"I'm a bard," Gabrielle said slowly. "And yet, whenever I look at you, my voice gets stuck. I can't find the words to tell you what you mean to me. I want to spend the rest of my life trying to find those words. I know we'll have our good times and bad times." She stopped suddenly, trying to find the words she wanted to say. "Know that I love you, David, with all my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life finding all the ways to show that to you."

Aphrodite looked as though her eyes were about to burst with tears as she listened. She bit her lip and fought the tide of emotions back down.

Gabrielle also felt the tears in her eyes. She smiled and held back as best she could.

Aphrodite cleared her throat. "Um, David?"

David looked into Gabrielle's eyes and his smile softened.

Suddenly, it was as if his mind ceased to work and his heart took over. When he spoke, it was as if someone else were using his voice. The words came from within his chest, not his head.

"The first time I ever saw you," he began. "I was enchanted. As time went by, and we got to know each other, it became a spell that I couldn't break, and then later, a spell I didn't want to end. When I look at you, Gabrielle, I see you with the same wonder I had the first night we found each other. When you came into my life, I finally knew what it was to be complete. When you were gone, I was nothing but an empty shell. I cannot imagine my life without you in it, and I swear to love you with every last beat of my heart."

A single tear rolled down Gabrielle's cheek.

"Oh, wow," Aphrodite breathed, desperately trying to stifle her reaction. She placed her hands on the ribbon and began to remove it. When she spoke, her voice was tight.

"Let that which is bound, never be broken," The last came out in a quavering voice. She looked at the two of them, lost in each others eyes.

"Oh, hurry up and kiss her, so I can cry," Aphrodite begged, nudging David's shoulder.

As soon as their lips met, applause burst out from one side, and Aphrodite's sobs burst out from the other. They embraced.

"I love you," Gabrielle breathed in his ear.

When they parted and looked at Aphrodite, she was smiling with tears streaming down her face.

"Come here, you guys," she bawled, holding out her arms. The three of them embraced tightly.

"I told you guys I cry at these things," Aphrodite complained.

"You did great," Gabrielle said, crying in her own right.

The feast that followed was grand by local standards. There was no lacking in food or drink. Everyone laughed and socialized. At some point, several people put together an impromptu band and the dancing started.

The wine flowed as long as the laughter and the celebration lasted through the day and long into the night.

As everything finally wound down, David found himself seated on the step at the edge of the pavilion, gazing out at the small dirt path that served as the main road into the village.

When Gabrielle saw him, he had a reflective smile on his face. He gently turned something in his fingers as he thought.

A couple of the last guests bade him farewell. He rose and shook their hands graciously, thanking them for coming, then he resumed his seat.

Gabrielle also said the final goodbyes and walked over to her husband.

"How are you doing?" she asked. She sat down next to him and smiled.

"Well," David said thoughtfully. "We did it."

"Yes we did," Gabrielle agreed.

David laughed quietly. "And may God have mercy on your soul."

Gabrielle jabbed him playfully in the shoulder and looked out, watching as Lila walked up towards the village with Beltanus on her arm, and Gabrielle's bouquet in her other hand.

"Where's Aphrodite?" David asked. "She never said goodbye?"

Gabrielle shrugged. "She said she needed to take care of a few things. I think she was a little embarrassed about crying at the wedding?"

David grinned. "I guess there's only one thing left to do?" He popped the top off the small aluminum cylinder and dropped the cigar and a 'light anywhere' match into his hand. He put the stogie in his mouth and struck the match, touching it to the end of the cigar and puffing contentedly.

He looked over at his wife and smiled with his clenched teeth. His eyebrows bounced a couple of times.

"Can I have a dance?" he asked.

Gabrielle frowned. "But there's no music?"

David set the cigar on the edge of the pavilion and stood up, bowing courteously and extending his hand.

"Who said we needed music?"

Smiling she rose and stepped with him to the center of the pavilion. He held her to him and they swayed under the glowing moon to a song that only the two of them could hear.

END


End file.
